Stephanite Mineral Data

Stephanite Mineral Data +

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General Stephanite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ag5SbS4

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 789.36 gm

Silver 68.33 % Ag

Antimony 15.42 % Sb

Sulfur 16.25 % S

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Ag₅SbS₄

Environment:

A late-stage mineral in hydrothermal silver deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1845

Locality:

Freiberg, Sachsen (Saxony), Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after Archduke Victor Stephan (1817-1867). Former Austrian Mining Director and engineer,

Synonym:

Brittle Silver Ore

ICSD 16987

PDF 11-108

Stephanite Image

Images:

Stephanite

Comments: Group of steel gray lustrous stephanite crystals to 8 mm in diameter. Caleb Simkoff Collection.
Location: Freiberg, Saxony, Germany. Scale: 10 x 12 x 23 mm.
© Dan Weinrich

Images:

Stephanite Silver

Comments: Thick, ropy, native silver wires with blocky, well-crystallized stephanite on white and tan calcite matrix.
Location: Freiberg, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Alemania, Germay. Scale: Picture size 3 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Stephanite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.6338:1:0.6918

Cell Dimensions:

a = 7.793, b = 12.295, c = 8.506, Z = 4; V = 815.00 Den(Calc)= 6.43

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - PyramidalH-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: C mc2₁

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.08(1), 2.58(0.9), 2.89(0.6),

Forms:

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Forms: [ 0 1 0] [ 0 2 1] [ 1 1 0] [ 1 1 1] [ 0 0 1]

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Crystal Structure:

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Ribar B , Nowacki W , Acta Crystallographica, Section B , 26 (1970) p.201-207, Die kristallstruktur von stephanit, [SbS3|S|Ag5]

Physical Properties of Stephanite

Cleavage:

[010] Imperfect, [021] Poor

Color:

Lead gray, Black.

Density:

6.2 - 6.3, Average = 6.25

Diaphaniety:

Opaque

Fracture:

Sub Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by semi-curving surfaces.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Habit:

Pseudo Hexagonal - Crystals show a hexagonal outline.

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Hardness:

2-2.5 - Gypsum-Finger Nail

Luminescence:

None.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

black

Optical Properties of Stephanite

RL Anisotrophism:

Strong, in vivid colors.

RL Color:

White-gray.

RL Pleochroism:

Very weak, white to pink-white.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Stephanite in Air**
λ	R₁	R₂	∑ R₁(λ)	∑ R₂(λ)
400 nm	31.00	31.80
420 nm	30.80	31.60
440 nm	30.60	31.40
460 nm	30.20	31.10
480 nm	29.70	30.80
500 nm	29.00	30.30
520 nm	28.20	29.70
540 nm	27.60	29.00
560 nm	27.00	28.50
580 nm	26.50	28.10
600 nm	26.20	28.00
620 nm	26.10	27.90
640 nm	26.00	27.80
660 nm	26.00	27.60
680 nm	26.20	27.40
700 nm	26.60	27.00

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Stephanite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	40%	80%	100%	120%	160%	200%	240%	280%	320%	330%
R₁
R₂

Calculated Properties of Stephanite

Electron Density:

r_electron=5.70 gm/cc
note: r_Stephanite=6.43 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00121
Boson Index = 0.99879

Photoelectric:

PE_Stephanite= 227.71 barns/electron
U=PE_Stephanite x r_electron=1,298.42 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Stephanite is Not Radioactive

Stephanite Classification

Dana Class:

3.2.4.1 (3)Sulfides - Sulfosalts

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

(3.2.4)Dana Group

3.2.4.1 Stephanite Ag5SbS4 C mc2₁ mm2

3.2.4.2 Selenostephanite Ag5Sb(Se,S)4 P 2₁2₁2₁ 2 2 2

Strunz Class:

II/E.06-10 II - Sulfides and sulphosalts

II/E - Sulfosalts (S : As,Sb,Bi = x) Sulfosalts with predominant Silver, x = 6.0 - 1.6

II/E.06 - Stefanite - Arcusbisite series

II/E.06-10 Stephanite Ag5SbS4 C mc2₁ mm2

II/E.06-20 Selenostephanite Ag5Sb(Se,S)4 P 2₁2₁2₁ 2 2 2

II/E.06-30 Arcubisite Ag6CuBiS4 Ortho ? Ortho

II/E.06-40 Fettelite! Ag24HgAs5S20 P 3₁2, P 3m1 or P 3m1 Trig

Other Stephanite Information

References:

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

See Also:

Links to other databases for Stephanite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - HyperPhysics
11 - MinDAT
12 - MinMax(Deutsch)
13 - MinMax(English)
14 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
15 - QUT Mineral Atlas
16 - Ruff.Info
17 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Stephanite

Ag5SbS4
Dana No: 3.2.4.1 Strunz No: II/E.06-10
Locality:

Notes: