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Horsfordite

Colour:WhiteLustre:Metallic
Hardness:4 - 5
Name:Named after Professor E. N. Horsford (1818-1893), Rumford Professor of Chemistry, Harvard University.


Smelter product. Metallurgical(?) mixture of three phases.

Originally reported from Mytilene, Lesbos Island (Nisos Lésvos; Mytilene; Mytilini ), Lésvos (Lesbos; Mytilene; Mytilini) Prefecture, Aegean Islands (Aiyaíon) Department, Greece.

Classification of Horsfordite

IMA status:Discredited 2006
Explanation of status:A metallurgical product.
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:2.AA.20

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
A : Alloys
A : Alloys of metalloids with Cu, Ag, Au
Dana 8th edition ID:2.1.2.1

2 : SULFIDES
1 : AmXp, with m:p > 3:1
Hey's CIM Ref.:1.44

1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)
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Physical Properties of Horsfordite

Lustre:Metallic
Colour:White
Hardness (Mohs):4 - 5

Relationship of Horsfordite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
2.AA.05Algodonite
(Cu
 
1-x
As
 
x
)
2.AA.10Domeykite
Cu
 
3
As
2.AA.10Koutekite
Cu
 
5
As
 
2
2.AA.15Novakite
Cu
 
20
AgAs
 
10
2.AA.20Cuprostibite
Cu
 
2
(Sb,Tl)
2.AA.25Kutinaite
Cu
 
2
AgAs
2.AA.30Allargentum
(Ag
 
1-x
Sb
 
x
)
2.AA.35Dyscrasite
Ag
 
3
Sb
2.AA.40Maldonite
Au
 
2
Bi
2.AA.45Stistaite
SnSb
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:
1.1Copper
Cu
1.2Silver
Ag
1.5Gold
Au
1.6Auricupride
Cu
 
3
Au
1.7Tetra-auricupride
AuCu
1.8Zinc
Zn
1.9Cadmium
Cd
1.10Danbaite
CuZn
 
2
1.11Zhanghengite
CuZn
1.12Mercury
Hg
1.13Kolymite
Cu
 
7
Hg
 
6
1.14Moschellandsbergite
Ag
 
2
Hg
 
3
1.15Eugenite
Ag
 
11
Hg
 
2
1.16Schachnerite
Ag
 
1.1
Hg
 
0.9
1.17Paraschachnerite
Ag
 
3
Hg
 
2
1.18Luanheite
Ag
 
3
Hg
1.19Weishanite
(Au,Ag)
 
3
Hg
 
2
1.20Indium
In
1.21Aluminium
Al
1.22Khatyrkite
(Cu,Zn)Al
 
2
1.23Cupalite
(Cu,Zn)Al
1.24Diamond
C
1.25Graphite
C
1.26Chaoite
C
1.27Lonsdaleite
C
1.28Silicon
Si
1.29Tin
Sn
1.30Lead
Pb
1.31Anyuiite
Au(Pb,Sb)
 
2
1.31Novodneprite
AuPb
 
3
1.32Leadamalgam
HgPb
 
2
1.33Arsenic
As
1.34Arsenolamprite
As
1.35Paxite
CuAs
 
2
1.36Koutekite
Cu
 
5
As
 
2
1.37Domeykite
Cu
 
3
As
1.38Algodonite
(Cu
 
1-x
As
 
x
)
1.39Novakite
Cu
 
20
AgAs
 
10
1.40Kutinaite
Cu
 
2
AgAs
1.41Antimony
Sb
1.42Stibarsen
AsSb
1.43Paradocrasite
Sb
 
3
As
1.45Cuprostibite
Cu
 
2
(Sb,Tl)
1.46Allargentum
(Ag
 
1-x
Sb
 
x
)
1.47Aurostibite
AuSb
 
2
1.48Dyscrasite
Ag
 
3
Sb
1.49Bismuth
Bi
1.50Maldonite
Au
 
2
Bi
1.51Sulphur
S
 
8
1.52Rosickýite
S
1.53Selenium
Se
1.54Tellurium
Te
1.55Chromium
Cr
1.56Rhenium
Re
1.57Iron
Fe
1.58Chromferide
Fe
 
3
Cr
 
1-x
 (x=0.6)
1.59Ferchromide
Cr
 
1.5
Fe
 
0.5-x
1.60Wairauite
CoFe
1.61Nickel
Ni
1.62Kamacite
(Fe,Ni)
1.63Taenite
(Fe,Ni)
1.64Tetrataenite
FeNi
1.65Awaruite
Ni
 
3
Fe
1.66Palladium
(Pd,Pt)
1.67Potarite
PdHg
1.68Paolovite
Pd
 
2
Sn
1.69Stannopalladinite
(Pd,Cu)
 
3
Sn
 
2
1.70Cabriite
Pd
 
2
SnCu
1.71Taimyrite
(Pd,Cu,Pt)
 
3
Sn
1.72Atokite
(Pd,Pt)
 
3
Sn
1.73Rustenburgite
(Pt,Pd)
 
3
Sn
1.74Zvyagintsevite
(Pd,Pt,Au)
 
3
(Pb,Sn)
1.75Plumbopalladinite
Pb
 
2
Pd
 
3
1.76Osmium
(Os,Ir,Ru)
1.77Iridium
(Ir,Os,Ru)
1.82Platinum
Pt
1.83Hongshiite
PtCu
1.84Niggliite
PtSn
1.85Isoferroplatinum
Pt
 
3
Fe
1.86Tetraferroplatinum
PtFe
1.87Tulameenite
Pt
 
2
CuFe
1.88Ferronickelplatinum
Pt
 
2
FeNi
1.89Rhodium
(Rh,Pt)

Other Names for Horsfordite

German names:
AntimonkupferHorsfordit
Spanish names:
Horsfordita

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 Horsfordite

Reference List:Laist, A. & Norton, T.H. (1888): On the occurrence in nature of copper antimonide. American Chemical Journal, 10, 60-62.

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.: 173.

Feinglos, M.N., Cannon V, B.B., Cocks, F.H. (2006): The true nature of “horsfordite”. Canadian Mineralogist, 44, 409-413.

Burke, Ernest A.J. (2007) A Mass Discreditation of GQN Minerals. Canadian Mineralogist: 44(6): 1557-1560.

Internet Links for Horsfordite

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    Localities for Horsfordite

    (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.
    Greece
     
    • Aegean Islands (Aiyaíon) Department
      • Lésvos (Lesbos; Mytilene; Mytilini) Prefecture
        • Lesbos Island (Nisos Lésvos; Mytilene; Mytilini )
    		Dana, 7th. Ed.,7TH,V.1,173(1944)
    Mineral and/or Locality
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