Search

Oscarkempffite, ideally Ag10Pb4(Sb17Bi9)Σ=26S48, is a new mineral species found in old material (1929-30) from the Colorada vein, Animas mine, Chocaya Province, Department of Potosi, Bolivia. It is associated with aramayoite, stannite, miargyrite, pyrargyrite and tetrahedrite. Oscarkempffite forms anhedral grains and grain aggregates up to 10 mm across. The mineral is opaque, greyish black with a metallic lustre; it is brittle without any discernible cleavage. In reflected light oscarkempffite is greyish white, pleochroism is distinct, white to dark grey. Internal reflections are absent. In crossed polars, anisotropism is distinct with rotation tints in shades of grey. The reflectance data (%, air) are: 39.9, 42.6 at 470 nm, 38.6, 41.7 at 546 nm, 38.1, 41.2 at 589 nm and 37.3, 40.6 at 650 nm. Mohs hardness is 3-3½, microhardness VHN50 exhibits a range 189-208, with a mean value 200 kg mm−2. The average results of four electron-microprobe analyses in a grain are: Cu 0.24(7), Ag 14.50(8), Pb 11.16(14), Sb 28.72(16), Bi 24.56(17), S 20.87(5), total 100.05(6) wt.%, corresponding to Cu0.24Ag9.92Pb4.00Sb17.36Bi8.64S47.84 (on the basis of Me+S=88 apfu). The simplified formula, Ag10Pb4Sb17Bi9S48, is in accordance with the results of a crystal-structure determination. The density, 5.8 g cm-3, was calculated using the ideal formula. Oscarkempffite has an orthorhombic cell with a=13.199(2), b=19.332(3), c=8.249(1) Å, V=2116.3(5) ų, space group Pnca and Z=1. The strongest eight lines in the (calculated) powder-diffraction pattern are [d in Å(I)hkl]: 3.66(35)(122), 3.37(70)(132), 3.34(100)(250), 2.982(55)(312), 2.881(86)(322), 2.733(29)(332), 2.073(27)(004) and 2.062(31)(182). Comparison with gustavite, andorite and roshchinite confirms its independence as a mineral species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agmantinite, ideally Ag2MnSnS4, is a new mineral from the Uchucchacua polymetallic deposit, Oyon district, Catajambo, Lima Department, Peru. It occurs as orange–red crystals up to 100 μm across. Agmantinite is translucent with adamantine lustre and possesses a red streak. It is brittle. Neither fracture nor cleavage were observed. Based on the empirical formula the calculated density is 4.574 g/cm3. On the basis of chemically similar compounds the Mohs hardness is estimated at between 2 to 2½. In plane-polarised light agmantinite is white with red internal reflections. It is weakly bireflectant with no observable pleochroism with red internal reflections. Between crossed polars, agmantinite is weakly anisotropic with reddish brown to greenish grey rotation tints. The reflectances (R min and R max) for the four standard wavelengths are: 19.7 and 22.0 (470 nm); 20.5 and 23.2 (546 nm); 21.7 and 2.49 (589 nm); and 20.6 and 23.6 (650 nm), respectively. Agmantinite is orthorhombic, space group P 21 nm , with unit-cell parameters: a = 6.632(2), b = 6.922(2), c = 8.156(2) Å, V = 374.41(17) Å3, a : b : c 0.958:1:1.178 and Z = 2. The crystal structure was refined to R = 0.0575 for 519 reflections with I > 2σ(I). Agmantinite is the first known mineral of ${M}_{\rm 2}^{\rm I} $ M II M IVS4 type that is derived from wurtzite rather than sphalerite by ordered substitution of Zn, analogous to the substitution pattern for deriving stannite from sphalerite. The six strongest X-ray powder-diffraction lines derived from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data [ d in Å (intensity)] are: 3.51 (s), 3.32 (w), 3.11 (vs), 2.42 (w), 2.04 (m) and 1.88 (m). The empirical formula (based on 8 apfu) is (Ag1.94Cu0.03)Σ1.97(Mn0.98Zn0.05)Σ1.03Sn0.97S4.03.The crystal structure-derived formula is Ag2(Mn0.69Zn0.31)Σ1.00SnS4 and the simplified formula is Ag2MnSnS4. The name is for the composition and the new mineral and mineral name have been approved by the International Mineralogical Association Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (IMA2014-083). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]