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Digenite

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Eagle Mine, Gilman, Gilman District (Battle Mountain District; Red Cliff District), Eagle Co., Colorado, USA
© 2002 John H. Betts

Show Digenite Photos (8)
Formula:
Cu
 
9
S
 
5
System:TrigonalColour:grey to greyish black, ...
Hardness:2½ - 3
Name:from Greek digenus = of two origins, because it is related to chalcocite and covellite


Chalcocite-Digenite Group.

Classification of Digenite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/B.01-30
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:2.BA.10

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 8th edition ID:2.4.7.3

2 : SULFIDES
4 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 2:1
Hey's CIM Ref.:3.1.3

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

Type Locality:Copper slates, Sangerhausen, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Year of Discovery:1844

Physical Properties of Digenite

Lustre:Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:grey to greyish black, turning bluish on exposure to air
Streak:Greyish black
Hardness (Mohs):2½ - 3

Crystallography of Digenite

Crystal System:Trigonal
Class (H-M):3m (3 2/m) - Hexagonal Scalenohedral
Space Group:R3m (R3 2/m)
Cell Parameters:a = 3.92Å, c = 48Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 12.245
Unit Cell Volume:V 638.77 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:3

Chemical Properties of Digenite

Formula:
Cu
 
9
S
 
5
Essential elements:Cu, S
All elements listed in formula:Cu, S
Common Impurities:Fe

Relationship of Digenite to other Species

Related to:
  • Chalcocite-Digenite Group
    • 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.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.35Acanthite
    Ag
     
    2
    		S
    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.65Henryite
    Ag
     
    3
    		Cu
     
    4
    		Te
     
    4
    2.BA.65Stützite
    Ag
     
    7
    		Te
     
    4
    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:

    - +
    3.1.1Chalcocite
    Cu
     
    2
    		S
    3.1.2Djurleite
    Cu
     
    31
    		S
     
    16
    3.1.4Anilite
    Cu
     
    7
    		S
     
    4
    3.1.5Roxbyite
    Cu
     
    9
    		S
     
    5
    3.1.6Spionkopite
    Cu
     
    39
    		S
     
    28
    3.1.7Geerite
    Cu
     
    8
    		S
     
    5
    3.1.8Covellite
    CuS
    3.1.9Berzelianite
    Cu
     
    2
    		Se
    3.1.10Bellidoite
    Cu
     
    2
    		Se
    3.1.11Umangite
    Cu
     
    3
    		Se
     
    2
    3.1.12Yarrowite
    Cu
     
    9
    		S
     
    8
    3.1.13Athabascaite
    Cu
     
    5
    		Se
     
    4
    3.1.14Klockmannite
    CuSe
    3.1.15Krut'aite
    CuSe
     
    2
    3.1.16Weissite
    Cu
     
    2-x
    		Te
    3.1.17Rickardite
    Cu
     
    7
    		Te
     
    5
    3.1.18Vulcanite
    CuTe
    3.1.19Bambollaite
    Cu(Se,Te)
     
    2
    3.1.20Lautite
    CuAsS
    3.1.21Mgriite
    Cu
     
    3
    		AsSe
     
    3
    3.1.22Cubanite
    CuFe
     
    2
    		S
     
    3
    3.1.23Bornite
    Cu
     
    5
    		FeS
     
    4
    3.1.24Fukuchilite
    Cu
     
    3
    		FeS
     
    8
    3.1.25Chalcopyrite
    CuFeS
     
    2
    3.1.26Mooihoekite
    Cu
     
    9
    		Fe
     
    9
    		S
     
    16
    3.1.27Haycockite
    Cu
     
    4
    		Fe
     
    5
    		S
     
    8
    3.1.28Isocubanite
    CuFe
     
    2
    		S
     
    3
    3.1.29Idaite
    Cu
     
    5
    		FeS
     
    6
    3.1.30Nukundamite
    (Cu,Fe)
     
    4
    		S
     
    4
    3.1.31Putoranite
    Cu
     
    9
    		Fe
     
    9
    		S
     
    16
    3.1.32Orickite
    2CuFeS
     
    2
    		·H
     
    2
    		O
    3.1.33Eskebornite
    CuFeSe
     
    2
    3.1.34Chaméanite
    (Cu,Fe)
     
    4
    		As(Se,S)
     
    4
    3.1.35Talnakhite
    Cu
     
    9
    		(Fe,Ni)
     
    8
    		S
     
    16

    Other Names for Digenite

    Synonyms:
    α-ChalcociteBlue ChalcociteCarmeniteIsometric ChalcociteKupferglanz-α
    Neodigenite
    Other Languages:
    Czech:Digenit
    German:α-Chalcosit
    α-Chalkosin
    Blauer Chalkosin
    Carmenit
    Digenit
    Neodigenit
    Italian:Digenite
    Russian:Дигенит
    Spanish:α-Chalcocita
    Carmenita
    Digenita
    Neodigenita

    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.

    References for Digenite

    Reference List:Breithaupt, A. (1844): Zwei neue Kupfer enthaltende Mineralien aus der Ordnung der Glanze.- Poggendorffs Annalen der Physik und Chemie: 61, 671-675.

    American Mineralogist (1942): 27: 712-716.

    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.: 180-182.

    American Mineralogist (1958): 43: 230-242.

    Articles/Blogs about Digenite

    Internet Links for Digenite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Search for Digenite in the Natural History Museum (London) online catalogue
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    Localities for Digenite

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