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Miargyrite

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Neue Hoffnung Gottes Mine, Bräunsdorf, Freiberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
© Stephan Wolfsried

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Formula:
AgSbS
 
2
System:MonoclinicColour:Black with dark red ...
Hardness:2½
Name:From Greek "meion" (less) and "argyros" (silver), for it contains less silver than pyrargyrite which it was often mistaken for.
Polymorph of:Baumstarkite, Cuboargyrite


The monoclinic dimorph of Cuboargyrite and Baumstarkite.

Black blocky, often striated crystals with dark red internal reflections to a cm. The crystals are difficult to orient and often form balls to a few cm.

Classification of Miargyrite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/C.16-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:2.HA.10

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
H : Sulfosalts of SnS archetype
A : With Cu, Ag, Fe (without Pb)
Dana 8th edition ID:3.7.3.2

3 : SULFOSALTS
7 : ø = 2
Hey's CIM Ref.:5.2.8

5 : Sulphosalts - Sulpharsenites and Sulphobismuthites (those containing Sn, Ge,or V are in Section 6)
2 : Sulpharsenites etc. of Ag
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Type Occurrence of Miargyrite

Type Locality:Neue Hoffnung Gottes Mine, Bräunsdorf, Freiberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
Year of Discovery:1824

Physical Properties of Miargyrite

Lustre:Metallic
Colour:Black with dark red internal reflections
Streak:Cherry red
Hardness (Mohs):2½
Hardness Data:Measured
Cleavage:Imperfect/Fair
Imperfect on 010, rare on 100 and 101
Fracture:Sub-Conchoidal
Density (measured):5.25 g/cm3
Density (calculated):5.29 g/cm3

Crystallography of Miargyrite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Class (H-M):m - Domatic
Space Group:Bb {B1 1b} {Cc} {C1c1}
Cell Parameters:a = 13.22Å, b = 4.411Å, c = 12.862Å
β = 98.633°
Ratio:a:b:c = 2.997 : 1 : 2.916
Unit Cell Volume:V 741.53 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:Black blocky often striated xls.
Crystal Atlas:
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Miargyrite - {100}, {010}, {001}, modified
Miargyrite - equant crystal

About Crystal Atlas

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Optical Data of Miargyrite

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 2.720 - 2.800
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 2.720

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Moderate
Dispersion:relatively strong
Internal Reflections:dark red internal reflections

Chemical Properties of Miargyrite

Formula:
AgSbS
 
2
Essential elements:Ag, S, Sb
All elements listed in formula:Ag, S, Sb
Empirical Formula:
AgSbS
 
2
Common Impurities:As,Fe

Relationship of Miargyrite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
2.HA.05Chalcostibite
CuSbS
 
2
2.HA.05Emplectite
CuBiS
 
2
2.HA.20Berthierite
FeSb
 
2
S
 
4
2.HA.20Garavellite
FeSbBiS
 
4
2.HA.20Clerite
MnSb
 
2
S
 
4
2.HA.25Aramayoite
Ag(Sb,Bi)S
 
2
2.HA.25Baumstarkite
AgSbS
 
2
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
5.2.1Smithite
AgAsS
 
2
5.2.2Trechmannite
AgAsS
 
2
5.2.3Proustite
Ag
 
3
AsS
 
3
5.2.4Xanthoconite
Ag
 
3
AsS
 
3
5.2.5Pearceite
[(Ag,Cu)
 
6
(As,Sb)
 
2
S
 
7
][Ag
 
9
CuS
 
4
]
5.2.6Pearceite-T2ac
5.2.7Argentotennantite
Ag
 
6
[Cu
 
4
(Fe,Zn)
 
2
]As
 
4
S
 
13
5.2.9Pyrargyrite
Ag
 
3
SbS
 
3
5.2.10Pyrostilpnite
Ag
 
3
SbS
 
3
5.2.11Stephanite
Ag
 
5
SbS
 
4
5.2.12Polybasite
[(Ag,Cu)
 
6
(Sb,As)
 
2
S
 
7
][Ag
 
9
CuS
 
4
]
5.2.13Billingsleyite
Ag
 
7
AsS
 
6
5.2.14Polybasite-Tac
5.2.15Freibergite
Ag
 
6
[Cu
 
4
Fe
 
2
]Sb
 
4
S
 
13-x
5.2.16Aramayoite
Ag(Sb,Bi)S
 
2
5.2.17Matildite
AgBiS
 
2
5.2.18Schapbachite
Ag
 
0.4
Pb
 
0.2
Bi
 
0.4
S
5.2.19Pavonite
(Ag,Cu)(Bi,Pb)
 
3
S
 
5
5.2.20Arcubisite
Ag
 
6
CuBiS
 
4
5.2.21Bohdanowiczite
AgBiSe
 
2
5.2.22Selenostephanite
Ag
 
5
Sb(Se,S)
 
4
5.2.23Benleonardite
Ag
 
8
(Sb,As)Te
 
2
S
 
3
5.2.24Volynskite
AgBiTe
 
2

Other Names for Miargyrite

Synonyms:
Fahles RotgiltigerzHypargyriteHypargyron-BlendeKenngottite (of Haidinger)Myargyrite
Other Languages:
German:Hemidom-Blende
Hemiprismatische Rubin-Blende
Miargyrit
Myargyrit
Silberantimonglanz
Russian:Миаргирит
Simplified Chinese:辉锑银矿
Spanish:Miargyrita
Myargyrita
Varieties:
Arsenmiargyrite

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 Miargyrite

Reference List:

- +
Hausmann (1805), Hercyn. Archiv: 4: 680.

Mohs, F. (1824): Hemiprismatische Rubinblende.- Grundriss der Mineralogie, vol. II, p. 606-607.

Rose, H. (1829): Ueber die in der Natur vorkommenden nicht oxydirten Verbindungen des Antimons und des Arseniks.- Poggendorffs Annalen der Physik und Chemie 15, 451-476.

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: 424-427.

Mineralogical Magazine (1997): 61: 671-675.

Effenberger, H., Paar, W.H., Topa, D., Criddle, A.J., and Fleck, M. (2002) The new mineal baumstarkite and a structural reinvestigation of aramayoite and miargyrite. American Mineralogist: 87: 753-764.

Acta Crystallographica: 17: 847-851.

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    Locality Updated: Koukourdei (Bir Salado), Eguéi Region (Eguei; Eguéï; Egai), Kanem Region (Khanem), Lake Chad, ChadFrom Debbie Woolf, 22nd May 2013 01:00:27