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Acanthite

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Fresnillo de Gonzalez Echeverria (Fresnillo), Mun. de Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico
© Brent Thorne

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Formula:
Ag
 
2
S
System:MonoclinicColour:lead grey, black
Lustre:MetallicHardness:2 - 2½
Name:Dana 7th, and The Handbook of Mineralogy, say it is from the greek "akantha" meaning thorn, alluding to crystal shape.


Acanthite is the low-temperature modification of silver sulphide. All natural silver sulphide specimens at room temperature are acanthite. The structure of argentite, the high-temperature cubic (isometric) form cannot be quenched. At atmospheric pressure, argentite is stable above 177°C and acanthite is stable below 177°C. The tarnish on Sterling silver is acanthite.

Classification of Acanthite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/B.05-10
Strunz 9th edition ID:2.BA.35
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:2.BA.35

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
B : Metal Sulfides, M: S > 1: 1 (mainly 2: 1)
A : With Cu, Ag, Au
Dana 7th edition ID:2.4.1.1
Dana 8th edition ID:2.4.1.1

2 : SULFIDES
4 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 2:1
Hey's CIM Ref.:3.2.1

3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
2 : Sulphides etc. of Ag
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Type Occurrence of Acanthite

Type Locality:Jáchymov (St Joachimsthal), Ostrov, Krušné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge), Karlovy Vary Region, Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Czech Republic
Year of Discovery:1855

Physical Properties of Acanthite

Lustre:Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:lead grey, black
Streak:lead grey
Hardness (Mohs):2 - 2½
Hardness (Vickers):VHN50=21 - 25 kg/mm2
Hardness Data:Measured
Tenacity:Sectile
Cleavage:None Observed
Fracture:Sub-Conchoidal
Density (measured):7.2 - 7.4 g/cm3
Density (calculated):7.24 g/cm3

Crystallography of Acanthite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Class (H-M):2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:P21/m {P1 1 21/m} {P21/m} {P1 21/m 1}
Cell Parameters:a = 4.229Å, b = 6.931Å, c = 7.862Å
β = 99.61°
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.61 : 1 : 1.134
Unit Cell Volume:V 227.21 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Typically found as pseudo-cubic and pseudo-octahedral crystals, paramorphic after argentite. Also found as thorn-shaped monoclinic crystals, usually small to microscopic in size.
Crystal Atlas:
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Argentite no.11 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Argentite - {100}, modified

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X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
d-spacingIntensity
3.08(60)
2.84(70)
2.61(100)
2.58(70)
2.46(70)
2.44(80)
2.42(60)

Chemical Properties of Acanthite

Formula:
Ag
 
2
S
Essential elements:Ag, S
All elements listed in formula:Ag, S
CAS Registry number:21548-73-2

CAS Registry numbers are published by the American Chemical Society
Common Impurities:Se

Relationship of Acanthite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
2.BA.05Chalcocite
Cu
 
2
S
2.BA.05Djurleite
Cu
 
31
S
 
16
2.BA.05Geerite
Cu
 
8
S
 
5
2.BA.05Roxbyite
Cu
 
9
S
 
5
2.BA.10Anilite
Cu
 
7
S
 
4
2.BA.10Digenite
Cu
 
9
S
 
5
2.BA.15Bornite
Cu
 
5
FeS
 
4
2.BA.20Bellidoite
Cu
 
2
Se
2.BA.20Berzelianite
Cu
 
2
Se
2.BA.25Athabascaite
Cu
 
5
Se
 
4
2.BA.25Umangite
Cu
 
3
Se
 
2
2.BA.30Rickardite
Cu
 
7
Te
 
5
2.BA.30Weissite
Cu
 
2-x
Te
2.BA.35Argentite
2.BA.40Mckinstryite
(Ag,Cu)
 
2
S
2.BA.40Stromeyerite
AgCuS
2.BA.40dUM2003-13
Ag
 
6
AuCu
 
2
S
 
5
2.BA.45Jalpaite
Ag
 
3
CuS
 
2
2.BA.45Selenojalpaite
Ag
 
3
CuSe
 
2
2.BA.50Eucairite
AgCuSe
2.BA.55Aguilarite
Ag
 
4
SeS
2.BA.55Naumannite
Ag
 
2
Se
2.BA.60Cervelleite
Ag
 
4
TeS
2.BA.60Hessite
Ag
 
2
Te
2.BA.60Chenguodaite
Ag
 
9
Fe
3+
 
Te
 
2
S
 
4
2.BA.65Henryite
Ag
 
3
Cu
 
4
Te
 
4
2.BA.65Stützite
Ag
 
5-x
Te
 
3
, x = 0.24-0.36
2.BA.70Argyrodite
Ag
 
8
GeS
 
6
2.BA.70Canfieldite
Ag
 
8
(Sn,Ge)(S,Te)
 
6
2.BA.70Putzite
(Cu
 
4.7
Ag
 
3.3
)GeS
 
6
2.BA.75Fischesserite
Ag
 
3
AuSe
 
2
2.BA.75Penzhinite
(Ag,Cu)
 
4
Au(S,Se)
 
4
2.BA.75Petrovskaite
AuAg(S,Se)
2.BA.75Petzite
Ag
 
3
AuTe
 
2
2.BA.75Uytenbogaardtite
Ag
 
3
AuS
 
2
2.BA.80Bezsmertnovite
(Au,Ag)
 
4
Cu(Te,Pb)
2.BA.80Bilibinskite
PbCuAu
 
3
Te
 
2
2.BA.80Bogdanovite
(Au,Te,Pb)
 
3
(Cu,Fe)
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
3.2.3Naumannite
Ag
 
2
Se
3.2.4Aguilarite
Ag
 
4
SeS
3.2.5Hessite
Ag
 
2
Te
3.2.6Empressite
AgTe
3.2.7Stützite
Ag
 
5-x
Te
 
3
, x = 0.24-0.36
3.2.8Cervelleite
Ag
 
4
TeS
3.2.9Dervillite
Ag
 
2
AsS
 
2
3.2.10Stromeyerite
AgCuS
3.2.11Mckinstryite
(Ag,Cu)
 
2
S
3.2.12Jalpaite
Ag
 
3
CuS
 
2
3.2.13Eucairite
AgCuSe
3.2.14Cameronite
AgCu
 
7
Te
 
10
3.2.15Henryite
Ag
 
3
Cu
 
4
Te
 
4
3.2.16Sternbergite
AgFe
 
2
S
 
3
3.2.17Argentopyrite
AgFe
 
2
S
 
3
3.2.18Geffroyite
(Cu,Fe,Ag)
 
9
(Se,S)
 
8
3.2.19Argentopentlandite
Ag(Fe,Ni)
 
8
S
 
8

Other Names for Acanthite

Synonyms:
α-ArgentiteAcantiteAkanthiteArgentite-βArgentite-beta
ArgyriteArgyroseβ-ArgentiteBeta-ArgentiteDaleminzite
HenkelitePara-SilberglanzSilver GlanceVitreous SilverWeicherz
Other Languages:
Catalan:Argentita
Croatian:Argentit
Dutch:Argentiet
French:Acanthite
German:Argentit
α-Argentit
Acanthit
Akanthit
Argyrit
β-Argentit
Glanzerz
Henkelit
Silberglanz
Hungarian:Argentit
Italian:Argentite
Japanese:輝銀鉱
Latvian:Argentīts
Lithuanian:Argentitas
Low Saxon:Argentit
Polish:Argentyt
Russian:Аргентит
Slovak:Argentit
Spanish:Argentita
α-Argentita
Acanthita
Akanthita
Argyrita
β-Argentita
Henkelita
Swedish:Silverglans
Ukrainian:Аргентит
Varieties:
Zincian Acanthite

Other Information

Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
External LinksSearch for toxicity information at the United States National Library of Medicine

References for Acanthite

Reference List:Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged, 834pp.: 191-192.

Sitzungsber. Kaiserl. Akad. (1855), IV, 447-468.

Dana's New Mineralogy, 8th Edition, Gaines et.al., p. 42.

Best Localities for Acanthite

Best of Species:Acanthite

Internet Links for Acanthite

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    Localities for Acanthite

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