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Guanajuatite

Formula:
Bi
 
2
(Se,S)
 
3
System:OrthorhombicHardness:2½ - 3½
Name:From the type locality near Guanajuato, Mexico.


Easily distinguishable from the more common (in Guanajuato) Paraguanajuatite if macroscopic as the latter has platy/foliated aggregates with perfect cleavage whereas Guanajuatite resembles minerals of the stibnite group.

Classification of Guanajuatite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/D.08-50
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:2.DB.05

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
D : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 3 :4 and 2:3
B : M:S = 2:3
Dana 8th edition ID:2.11.2.4

2 : SULFIDES
11 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 2:3
Hey's CIM Ref.:3.7.19

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

Type Locality:Santa Catarina Mine, Rancho Calvillo, Santa Rosa, Sierra de Santa Rosa, Mun. de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
Year of Discovery:1873

Physical Properties of Guanajuatite

Hardness (Mohs):2½ - 3½

Crystallography of Guanajuatite

Crystal System:Orthorhombic
Cell Parameters:a = 11.37Å, b = 11.55Å, c = 4.05Å
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.984 : 1 : 0.351
Unit Cell Volume:V 531.86 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Chemical Properties of Guanajuatite

Formula:
Bi
 
2
(Se,S)
 
3
Essential elements:Bi, Se
All elements listed in formula:Bi, S, Se
Common Impurities:S

Relationship of Guanajuatite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
2.DB.05Antimonselite
Sb
 
2
Se
 
3
2.DB.05Bismuthinite
Bi
 
2
S
 
3
2.DB.05Metastibnite
Sb
 
2
S
 
3
2.DB.05Pääkkönenite
Sb
 
2
AsS
 
2
2.DB.05Stibnite
Sb
 
2
S
 
3
2.DB.10Ottemannite
beta Sn
 
2
S
 
3
2.DB.10Suredaite
PbSnS
 
3
2.DB.15Bowieite
(Rh,Ir,Pt)
 
2
S
 
3
2.DB.15Kashinite
(Ir,Rh)
 
2
S
 
3
2.DB.20Montbrayite
(Au,Sb)
 
2
Te
 
3
2.DB.25Edgarite
FeNb
 
3
S
 
6
2.DB.30Tarkianite
(Cu,Fe)(Re,Mo)
 
4
S
 
8
2.DB.35Cameronite
AgCu
 
7
Te
 
10
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
3.7.1Patrónite
VS
 
4
3.7.2Duranusite
As
 
4
S
3.7.3Dimorphite
As
 
4
S
 
3
3.7.4Realgar
As
 
4
S
 
4
3.7.5Pararealgar
As
 
4
S
 
4
3.7.6Alacránite
As
 
8
S
 
9
3.7.7Uzonite
As
 
4
S
 
5
3.7.8Orpiment
As
 
2
S
 
3
3.7.9Jeromite
3.7.10Laphamite
As
 
2
(S,Se)
 
3
3.7.11Getchellite
AsSbS
 
3
3.7.12Wakabayashilite
[(As,Sb)
 
6
S
 
9
][As
 
4
S
 
5
]
3.7.13Pääkkönenite
Sb
 
2
AsS
 
2
3.7.14Stibnite
Sb
 
2
S
 
3
3.7.15Metastibnite
Sb
 
2
S
 
3
3.7.16Tellurantimony
Sb
 
2
Te
 
3
3.7.17Bismuthinite
Bi
 
2
S
 
3
3.7.18Nevskite
Bi(Se,S)
3.7.21Ikunolite
Bi
 
4
(S,Se)
 
3
3.7.22Laitakarite
Bi
 
4
Se
 
2
S
3.7.23Poubaite
PbBi
 
2
(Se,Te,S)
 
4
3.7.24Tellurobismuthite
Bi
 
2
Te
 
3
3.7.25Součekite
PbCuBi(S,Se)
 
3
3.7.26Tsumoite
BiTe
3.7.27Pilsenite
Bi
 
4
Te
 
3
3.7.28Hedleyite
Bi
 
7
Te
 
3
3.7.29Tetradymite
Bi
 
2
Te
 
2
S
3.7.30Joséite
Bi
 
4
TeS
 
2
3.7.31Joséite-B
Bi
 
4
Te
 
2
S
3.7.32Ingodite
Bi
 
2
TeS
3.7.33Sulphotsumoite
Bi
 
3
Te
 
2
S
3.7.34Kawazulite
Bi
 
2
Te
 
2
Se
3.7.36Skippenite
Bi
 
2
TeSe
 
2
3.7.37Kochkarite
PbBi
 
4
Te
 
7
3.7.38Rucklidgeite
(Bi,Pb)
 
3
Te
 
4
3.7.39Aleksite
PbBi
 
2
Te
 
2
S
 
2
3.7.40Junoite
Cu
 
2
Pb
 
3
Bi
 
8
(S,Se)
 
16

Other Names for Guanajuatite

Synonyms:
Castillite (of Domeyko)FrenzeliteSelenobismutite (of Vernadsky)Selenwismutglanz
Other Languages:
German:Frenzelit
Guanajuatit
Russian:Гуанахуатит
Spanish:Frenzelita
Guanajuatita

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 Guanajuatite

Reference List:Hermann (1858) J. pr. Chem.: 75: 448.

Domeyko (1879): 310.

Vernadsky (1922) Mineralogical Magazine: 19: 349.

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: 278-279.

American Mineralogist (1950): 35: 362.

Articles/Blogs about Guanajuatite

Internet Links for Guanajuatite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
  • Search for Guanajuatite in the Natural History Museum (London) online catalogue
  • Guanajuatite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    Localities for Guanajuatite

    The map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.
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    (TL) indicates type locality. ? indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. All other localities listed without reference should be considered as uncertain and unproven until references can be found.
    Australia
     
    • New South Wales
      • Robinson Co.
        • Cobar
          • Kaloogleguy
    L.B. Gilligan and J.G. Byrnes Cobar Metallogenic Map 1:250 000
    • South Australia
      • Eyre peninsula
        • Middleback Range
          • Iron Knob
    www.crocoite.com (Steve Sorrell) and refs therein
    Brazil
     
    • Central-West Region
      • Goiás
        • Cavalcante
    Botelho, N.F., Moura, M.A., Peterson, R.C., Stanley, C.J., Silva, D.V.G. (2006): "Kalungaite, PdAsSe, a new platinum-group mineral from the Buraco do Ouro gold mine, Cavalcante, Goiás State, Brazil", Mineralogical Magazine 70, 123-130
    Canada
     
    • Northwest Territories
      • Mackenzie District
        • Great Bear Lake
    [MinRec 1989]
    France
     
    • Languedoc-Roussillon
      • Aude
        • Carcassonne
          • Mas-Cabardès
            • Salsigne
    F. Boyer and P.Picot : "Sur la Présence de Maldonite (Au2Bi) à Salsigne (Aude)", Bull. Soc. Fr. Minéral. Cristallogr., LXXXVI, N°4, 429
    Germany
     
    • Baden-Württemberg
      • Black Forest
        • Wolfach
          • Oberwolfach
            • Rankach valley
    Walenta, K. (1992): Die Mineralien des Schwarzwaldes. Chr. Weise Verlag, München, 336 pp. (in German)
    • Bavaria
      • Franconia
        • Fichtelgebirge
          • Weißenstadt
            • Großschloppen
    Weiss: "Mineralfundstellen, Deutschland West", Weise (Munich), 1990
      • Upper Palatinate
        • Schwandorf
          • Wölsendorf Fluorite mining District
    Weiss: "Mineralfundstellen, Deutschland West", Weise (Munich), 1990
    • Lower Saxony
      • Harz Mts
        • Bad Lauterberg
    Koch, H.-P. (2008): Die Minerale der Grube "Frische Lutter" bei Bad Lauterberg, Harz (Teil 1). Aufschluss 59, 65-76.
        • St Andreasberg District
          • St Andreasberg
    Weiss: "Mineralfundstellen, Deutschland West", Weise (Munich), 1990
    • Saxony-Anhalt
      • Harz Mts
    Wittern: "Mineralfundorte in Deutschland", 2001
    Mexico
     
    • Aguascalientes
      • Mun. de Tepezalá
        • El Cobre
    Panczner (1987): 219.
    • Guanajuato
      • Mun. de Guanajuato
        • Sierra de Santa Rosa
          • Rancho Calvillo
    Panczner(1987):115-292.
          • Santa Rosa
            • Rancho Calvillo
    American Mineralogist, 35, 337(1950); Panczner (1987): 115-292.
    Russia
     
    • Far-Eastern Region
      • Magadanskaya Oblast'
        • Omsukchan
      • Sakhalinskaya Oblast'
        • Maritime Province
          • Kuril Islands
            • Iturup Island
    http://maurice.strahlen.org/kurilles/kurilles.htm
    • Northern Region
      • Karelia Republic
        • Zaonezhskiy Peninsula
          • Lake Onega area
    No reference listed
    Sweden
     
    • Västerbotten
      • Skellefteå
        • Boliden
    No reference listed
    Switzerland
     
    • Zürich
      • Glattfelden
        • Weiach
    Stalder, H. A., Wagner, A., Graeser, S. and Stuker, P. (1998): "Mineralienlexikon der Schweiz", Wepf (Basel), p. 202.
    USA
     
    • California
      • Inyo Co.
    MinRec 15:5
    • Idaho
      • Lemhi Co.
        • Kirtley Creek District
          • Kirtley Creek
    R&M 70:4 pp 242-263
    • Nevada
      • Lander Co.
        • Hilltop District
    NBMG Spec. Pub. 31 Minerals of Nevada
    Mineral and/or Locality
    Google
     
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