Cuprostibite

Cuprostibite
Cuprostibite (South Greenland)
General
CategoryAntimonide mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)
Cu2(Sb,Tl)
IMA symbolCusb[1]
Strunz classification2.AA.20[2]
Crystal systemTetragonal
Crystal classAntimonide
Identification
Colorviolet pink to steel gray; red-violet tint on fresh fracture
Crystal habitfine grained aggregates
Twinningplaty
Cleavageperfect to average
Fractureirregular to uneven
Mohs scale hardness4
Lustermetallic[1]
Diaphaneityopaque[3]
Density8.42 (calculated)
Pleochroismvisible; creamy white to dark rose-violet[3]

Cuprostibite  (the name is formed from the addition of two words: cuprum and stibium)[3] — a very rare polymetallic mineral of the sulfide class, consisting of mixed copper and thallium stibnite (although not in all samples), sometimes with admixtures of tin and other metals, ideal formula Cu2(Sb,Tl) or Cu2Sb. The mineral is opaque, it has a metallic luster and a beautiful color from steel gray to violet-pink when freshly chipped.

Cuprostibite was discovered in South Greenland (1964) and described in 1969 by a group of scientists, which included Evgeny Semyonov [ru], Henning Sorensen,[4] Marianna Bezsmertnaya and Evgenia Khalezova.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Cuprostibite (A valid IMA mineral species, grandfathered): information about the mineral cuprostibite in the Mindat database.
  2. ^ Cuprostibite in the Mineralienatlas database.
  3. ^ a b c John W. Anthony, Richard A. Bideaux, Kenneth W. Bladh, Monte C. Nichols (Hrsg.): Handbook of Mineralogy, Mineralogical Society of America. 2001. — Cuprostibite.
  4. ^ Henning Sorensen is a future professor of mineralogy and president of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences in the early 1990s.