| Stephanite | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | |
| Category | Sulfosalt mineral |
| Formula (repeating unit) | Ag5SbS4 |
| IMA symbol | Sph[1] |
| Strunz classification | 2.GB.10 |
| Dana classification | 03.02.04.01 |
| Crystal system | Orthorhombic |
| Crystal class | Pyramidal (mm2) H-M symbol: (mm2) |
| Space group | Cmc21 |
| Identification | |
| Colour | Lead grey to black |
| Crystal habit | Tabular, pseudo-hexagonal crystals; massive |
| Twinning | Common on [110] repeated, forms pseudohexagonal groupings |
| Cleavage | Imperfect on {010}, poor on {021} |
| Fracture | Subconchoidal |
| Tenacity | Brittle |
| Mohs scale hardness | 2.0–2.5 |
| Lustre | Metallic |
| Streak | Iron black |
| Diaphaneity | Opaque |
| Specific gravity | 6.26 |
| Optical properties | Anisotropic in polished section |
| Pleochroism | Very weak – white to pale pink |
| References | [2][3][4] |
Stephanite is a silver antimony sulfosalt mineral with formula: Ag5SbS4. It is composed of 68.8% silver, and sometimes is of importance as an ore of this metal.[5]
- ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
- ^ http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/stephanite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy
- ^ http://webmineral.com/data/Stephanite.shtml Webmineral data
- ^ http://www.mindat.org/min-3764.html Mindat.org
- ^ Spencer 1911, p. 880.