Sulvanite Mineral Data

Sulvanite Mineral Data +

[Fine Minerals] [What's New] [Mineral Galleries] [My Collection] [Mineral Auctions]
Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals
Full-time professional mineral dealer with over 31 years experience in mineral collecting
And 15 years selling mineral specimens on the internet and at major mineral shows

General Sulvanite Information

Chemical Formula:

Cu3VS4

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 369.84 gm

Vanadium 13.77 % V

Copper 51.55 % Cu

Sulfur 34.68 % S

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Cu₃V²⁺S₄

Environment:

In hydrothermal copper deposits which contain vanadium, as a primary sulfide. Forms a series with arsenosulvanite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1900

Locality:

Burra, South Australia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after sulfur (sul) and vanadium (van) in the chemical formula.

Synonym:

ICSD 15490

PDF 11-104

Sulvanite Image

Images:

Sulvanite

Comments: Cubic grains of bronze-gray sulvanite crystals in marble.
Location: Val Bona quarry, Carrara, Italy. Scale: Picture size 1 cm.
© Dave Barthelmy

Sulvanite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.3912, Z = 1; V = 156.70 Den(Calc)= 3.92

Crystal System:

Isometric - HextetrahedralH-M Symbol (4 3m) Space Group: P 43m

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 5.4(1), 1.91(0.9), 3.12(0.5),

Forms:

Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
S - Stereo
I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above

Forms: [ 1 0 0] [ 0 1 0] [ 1 1 1]

Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers.

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Trojer F J , American Mineralogist , 51 (1966) p.890-894, Refinement of the structure of sulvanite, Note: symmetry constraints on B(i,j) reported incorrectly

Physical Properties of Sulvanite

Cleavage:

[???] Perfect

Color:

Bronze, Steel gray.

Density:

Diaphaniety:

Opaque

Habit:

Crystalline - Coarse - Occurs as well-formed coarse sized crystals.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Hardness:

3.5 - Copper Penny

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

black

Optical Properties of Sulvanite

RL Anisotrophism:

Sometimes weak.

RL Color:

Yellow white.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Sulvanite in Air**
λ	R	∑ R(λ)
400 nm	30.80
420 nm	28.50
440 nm	26.20
460 nm	25.90
480 nm	27.60
500 nm	30.50
520 nm	32.10
540 nm	31.00
560 nm	30.20
580 nm	31.00
600 nm	31.40
620 nm	33.50
640 nm	34.60
660 nm	33.40
680 nm	32.00
700 nm	30.60

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Sulvanite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	40%	80%	100%	120%	160%	200%	240%	280%	320%
R

Calculated Properties of Sulvanite

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.69 gm/cc
note: r_Sulvanite=3.92 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00294
Boson Index = 0.99706

Photoelectric:

PE_Sulvanite= 27.62 barns/electron
U=PE_Sulvanite x r_electron= 101.86 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Sulvanite is Not Radioactive

Sulvanite Classification

Dana Class:

3.2.3.1 (3)Sulfides - Sulfosalts

(3.2)where z/y = 4 - (A+)i (A++)j [By Cz], A=metals, B=semi-metals, C=non-metals

(3.2.3)Dana Group

3.2.3.1 Sulvanite Cu3VS4 P 43m 4 3m

3.2.3.2 Arsenosulvanite Cu3(As,V)S4 P 43m 4 3m

Strunz Class:

II/C.10-60 II - Sulfides and sulphosalts

II/C - Sulfides with metal: sulfur, selenium and tellurium = 1:1

II/C.10 - Stannite group, Germanite series

II/C.10-10 Renierite (Cu,Zn)11(Ge,As)2Fe4S16 P 4₂c- 4 2m

II/C.10-15 Vinciennite Cu10Fe4Sn(As,Sb)S16 P 4₁22 4 2 2

II/C.10-20 Germanite Cu26Fe4Ge4S32 P 43n 4 3m

II/C.10-30 Nekrasovite Cu26V2(Sn,As,Sb)6S32 P 43n 4 3m

II/C.10-40 Colusite Cu12-13V(As,Sb,Sn,Ge)3S16 P 43n 4 3m

II/C.10-45 Stibiocolusite Cu13V(Sb,As,Sn)3S16 P 43n 4 3m

II/C.10-47 Germanocolusite Cu13V(Ge,As)3S16 P 43n 4 3m

II/C.10-50 Arsenosulvanite Cu3(As,V)S4 P 43m 4 3m

II/C.10-50* Maikainite! Cu20(Fe,Cu)6Mo2Ge6S32 P 43n 4 3m

II/C.10-55 Ovamboite! Cu20(Fe,Cu,Zn)6W2Ge6S32 P 43n 4 3m

II/C.10-60 Sulvanite Cu3VS4 P 43m 4 3m

II/C.10-70 Polkovicite (Fe,Pb)3(Ge,Fe)1-xS4 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

II/C.10-80 Morozeviczite (Pb,Fe)3Ge1-xS4 F d3m 4/m 3 2/m

Other Sulvanite Information

References:

PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

Search for Sulvanite using:

[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [About.com] [All-The-Web] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [LookSmart] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Sulvanite :
AA Mineral Specimens
B and L Minerals
Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals
Dan Weinrich Auctions
e-Rocks Auctions
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Fabre Minerals
Greenside Minerals
John Betts Fine Minerals
Masons Minerals
Minernet.it
Mineral News
Mineral of the Month Club
MineralsWeb Fine Minerals
Rockshop.cz Kalat Fine Minerals
T G Fine Minerals
Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Sulvanite Mineral Data :

Ask about Sulvanite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

Print or Cut-and-Paste your Sulvanite Specimen Label here :

Sulvanite

Cu3VS4
Dana No: 3.2.3.1 Strunz No: II/C.10-60
Locality:

Notes: