Chemistry:Uytenbogaardtite

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Short description: Sulfide mineral
Uytenbogaardtite
Uytenbogaardtite.jpg
Uytenbogaardtite, from New Bullfrog Mine, Nye County, Nevada, United States of America
General
CategorySulfide mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)
Ag3AuS2
Strunz classification2.BA.40b
Crystal systemTrigonal
Crystal classDitrigonal pyramidal (3m)
H-M symbol: (3m)
Space groupR3c
Identification
Formula mass584.70 g/mol
ColorGreyish white
Crystal habitMicroscopic crystals
FractureIrregular
TenacityMalleable
Mohs scale hardness2
|re|er}}Metallic
DiaphaneityOpaque
Specific gravity8.405
PleochroismWeak
References[1][2][3][4][5]

The mineral uytenbogaardtite, Ag3AuS2, is a soft, greyish white sulfide mineral, occurring in hydrothermal Au-Ag-quartz veins. It occurs as tiny crystals, visible only with a microscope. It has a metallic luster and a hardness on the Mohs scale of 2 (gypsum).

It forms, together with petzite (Ag3AuTe2) and fischesserite (Ag3AuSe2) the uytenbogaardtite group. The type locality is Tambang Sawah, Bengkulu district, Sumatra island, Indonesia.

Common impurities in the uytenbogaardtite are copper, selenium, and tellurium.

It is named after the Dutch mineralogist Willem Uytenbogaardt (1918–2012), Professor of Geology, Technical University, Delft, The Netherlands, prominent ore microscopist.

See also

References