Tetrahedrite Mineral Data

[Newest Minerals] [Mineral Auctions] [Mineral Gallery]
The Mineral Gallery's Exceptional Specimens and Mineral Hall of Fame
Visa, PayPal, and Mastercard are Welcomed

General Tetrahedrite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Cu,Fe)12Sb4S13

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 1,643.31 gm

Iron 10.20 % Fe

Copper 34.80 % Cu

Antimony 29.64 % Sb

Sulfur 25.37 % S

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Cu₉Fe²⁺₃Sb₄S₁₃

Environment:

Hydrothermal veins and contact metamorphic deposits of low to moderate temperature.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1845

Locality:

Freiberg, Saxony, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Name is derived from its crystal form.

Name Pronunciation:

Tetrahedrite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 62116

PDF 42-561

Tetrahedrite Image

Images:

Tetrahedrite

Comments: A very brilliant tetrahedrite group with the tops of the crystals covered in chalcopyrite.
Location: Casapalca, Lima, Peru. Scale: 8 x 6 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Images:

Tetrahedrite

Comments: Bright sharp metallic tetrahedrite crystals to 1 cm in size on pinkish to colorless crystalline calcite matrix.
Location: Cavnic (Kapnik), Maramures, Romania. Scale: 14 x 11 x 3 cm.
© Dan Weinrich

Tetrahedrite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 10.33, Z = 2; V = 1,102.30 Den(Calc)= 4.95

Crystal System:

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

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3(1), 1.831(0.6), 1.563(0.3),

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: ( 2 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

Johnson M L , Burnham C W , American Mineralogist , 70 (1985) p.165-170, Crystal structure refinement of an arsenic-bearing argentian tetrahedrite

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Tetrahedrite
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Physical Properties of Tetrahedrite

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Iron gray, Black, Steel gray.

Density:

4.6 - 5.2, Average = 4.9

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.

Habit:

Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Hardness:

3.5-4 - Copper Penny-Fluorite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

black

Optical Properties of Tetrahedrite

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=2.72.

RL Color:

Gray inclining to olive-brown.

RL Pleochroism:

None.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Tetrahedrite in Air**
λ	R	∑ R(λ)
400 nm	30.30
420 nm	30.90
440 nm	31.50
460 nm	31.80
480 nm	31.80
500 nm	32.00
520 nm	32.40
540 nm	32.80
560 nm	33.00
580 nm	33.00
600 nm	32.50
620 nm	31.60
640 nm	31.00
660 nm	30.80
680 nm	30.60
700 nm	30.40

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Tetrahedrite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	30%	60%	90%	100%	120%	150%	180%	210%	240%	270%	280%
R

Calculated Properties of Tetrahedrite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.52 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Tetrahedrite =4.95 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0040639271
Boson Index = 0.9959360729

Photoelectric:

PE_Tetrahedrite= 116.02 barns/electron
U=PE_Tetrahedrite x rElectron Density= 524.91 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Tetrahedrite is Not Radioactive

Tetrahedrite Classification

Dana Class:

03.03.06.01 (03)Sulfides - Sulfosalts

(03.03)where 3 < z/y < 4 - (A+)i (A++)j [By Cz], A=metals, B=semi-metals, C=non-metals

(03.03.06)Tetrahedrite Group (Isometric: I-43m)

03.03.06.01 Tetrahedrite (Cu,Fe)12Sb4S13 I 43m 4 3m

03.03.06.02 Tennantite (Cu,Fe)12As4S13 I 43m 4 3m

03.03.06.03 Freibergite (Ag,Cu,Fe)12(Sb,As)4S13 I 43m 4 3m

03.03.06.04 Hakite (Cu,Hg)3(Sb,As)(Se,S)3 I 43m 4 3m

03.03.06.05 Giraudite (Cu,Zn,Ag)12(As,Sb)4(Se,S)13 I 43m 4 3m

03.03.06.06 Goldfieldite Cu12(Te,Sb,As)4S13 I 43m 4 3m

03.03.06.07 Argentotennantite (Ag,Cu)10(Zn,Fe)2(As,Sb)4S13 I 43m 4 3m

Strunz Class:

02.GB.05 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.G - Sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites

02.GB -Neso-sulfarsenites, etc

02.GB.05 Argentotennantite (Ag,Cu)10(Zn,Fe)2(As,Sb)4S13 I 43m 4 3m

02.GB.05 Giraudite (Cu,Zn,Ag)12(As,Sb)4(Se,S)13 I 43m 4 3m

02.GB.05 Goldfieldite Cu12(Te,Sb,As)4S13 I 43m 4 3m

02.GB.05 Freibergite (Ag,Cu,Fe)12(Sb,As)4S13 I 43m 4 3m

02.GB.05 Hakite (Cu,Hg)3(Sb,As)(Se,S)3 I 43m 4 3m

02.GB.05 Tennantite (Cu,Fe)12As4S13 I 43m 4 3m

02.GB.05 Tetrahedrite (Cu,Fe)12Sb4S13 I 43m 4 3m

Other Tetrahedrite Information

References:

NAME( ODonoghue90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Tetrahedrite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
7 - GeoScienceWorld
8 - Google Images
9 - Google Scholar
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
11 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
12 - HyperPhysics
13 - MinDAT
14 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
15 - Online Mineral Museum
16 - QUT Mineral Atlas
17 - Ruff.Info
18 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
19 - WWW-MINCRYST
20 - YupRocks
21 - theimage

Search for Tetrahedrite using:

[AOL] [Bing] [Dog Pile] [GeoScienceWorld] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Lycos] [MAMMA] [Scirus] [Teoma] [WebCrawler] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Tetrahedrite :

A Bijoux Google Search for Tetrahedrite
Adam's Minerals Google Search for Tetrahedrite
Cape Minerals Google Search for Tetrahedrite
Dakota Matrix Minerals Google Search for Tetrahedrite
Excalibur Mineral Corp. Google Search for Tetrahedrite
Exceptional Minerals Google Search for Tetrahedrite
John Betts Fine Minerals Search for Tetrahedrite
McDougall Minerals Google Search for Tetrahedrite
Mineral News Website Link
Rock and Mineral Shows Google Search for Tetrahedrite
Weinrich Minerals, Inc. Google Search for Tetrahedrite

Ask about Tetrahedrite 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 Tetrahedrite Specimen Label here :

Tetrahedrite

(Cu,Fe)12Sb4S13
Dana No: 03.03.06.01 Strunz No: 02.GB.05
Locality:

Notes: