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Stannite

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San José Mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia
© fabreminerals.com

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Formula:
Cu
 
2
(Fe,Zn)SnS
 
4
System:TetragonalColour:Grey, black with an ...
Lustre:MetallicHardness:4
Name:The name reflects its tin (Latin = "STANNum") content.


Stannite Group.

Often contains Zn replacing Fe, and sometimes also traces of Ge.

Classification of Stannite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/C.06-60
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:2.CB.15

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
B : With Zn, Fe, Cu, Ag, etc.
Dana 8th edition ID:2.9.2.1

2 : SULFIDES
9 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:1
Hey's CIM Ref.:6.1.6

6 : Sulphosalts - Sulphostannates, Sulphogermanates,Sulpharsenates, Sulphantimonates, Sulphovanadates and Sulphohalides
1 : Sulphostannates and other sulfides containing Sn
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Type Occurrence of Stannite

Type Locality:Wheal Rock, West Wheal Kitty group, St Agnes, St Agnes District, Cornwall, England, UK
Year of Discovery:1832

Physical Properties of Stannite

Lustre:Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:Grey, black with an olive-green tint, tarnishes pale blue
Streak:Black
Hardness (Mohs):4
Hardness (Vickers):VHN25=216 - 265 kg/mm2
Cleavage:Poor/Indistinct
Indistinct on {110} {001}
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven
Density (measured):4.3 - 4.5 g/cm3
Density (calculated):4.49 g/cm3

Crystallography of Stannite

Crystal System:Tetragonal
Class (H-M):4 2m - Scalenohedral
Space Group:I4 2m
Cell Parameters:a = 5.4432Å, c = 10.7299Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 1.971
Unit Cell Volume:V 317.91 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:2
Morphology:Rarely as crystals
Twinning:Penetration twins on {102}. Twin axis {112}, Composition plane {112}.
Polysynthetic in polished section.
Crystal Atlas:
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Stannite no.2 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

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X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Optical Data of Stannite

Type:Anisotropic
Anisotropism:Distinct violet - slate green
Colour in reflected light:Gray with olive green tinge.
Pleochroism:Weak
Comments:Indistinct in air, distinct in oil.

Chemical Properties of Stannite

Formula:
Cu
 
2
(Fe,Zn)SnS
 
4
Essential elements:Cu, Fe, S, Sn
All elements listed in formula:Cu, Fe, S, Sn, Zn
Common Impurities:Ag,Zn,Cd,In

Relationship of Stannite to other Species

Series:Forms a series with Kësterite (see here)
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
2.CB.05Coloradoite
HgTe
2.CB.05Hawleyite
CdS
2.CB.05Metacinnabar
HgS
2.CB.05Polhemusite
(Zn,Hg)S
2.CB.05Sakuraiite
(Cu,Zn,Fe)
 
3
(In,Sn)S
 
4
2.CB.05Sphalerite
(Zn,Fe
2+
 
)S
2.CB.05Stilleite
ZnSe
2.CB.05Tiemannite
HgSe
2.CB.05Rudashevskyite
(Fe,Zn)S
2.CB.10Chalcopyrite
CuFeS
 
2
2.CB.10Eskebornite
CuFeSe
 
2
2.CB.10Gallite
CuGaS
 
2
2.CB.10Haycockite
Cu
 
4
Fe
 
5
S
 
8
2.CB.10Lenaite
AgFeS
 
2
2.CB.10Mooihoekite
Cu
 
9
Fe
 
9
S
 
16
2.CB.10Putoranite
Cu
 
9
Fe
 
9
S
 
16
2.CB.10Roquesite
CuInS
 
2
2.CB.10Talnakhite
Cu
 
9
(Fe,Ni)
 
8
S
 
16
2.CB.10Laforêtite
AgInS
 
2
2.CB.15Černýite
Cu
 
2
(Cd,Zn,Fe)SnS
 
4
2.CB.15Ferrokësterite
Cu
 
2
(Fe,Zn)SnS
 
4
2.CB.15Hocartite
Ag
 
2
(Fe
2+
 
,Zn)SnS
 
4
2.CB.15Idaite
Cu
 
5
FeS
 
6
2.CB.15Kësterite
Cu
 
2
(Zn,Fe)SnS
 
4
2.CB.15Kuramite
Cu
 
3
SnS
 
4
2.CB.15Mohite
Cu
 
2
SnS
 
3
2.CB.15Pirquitasite
Ag
 
2
ZnSnS
 
4
2.CB.15Stannoidite
Cu
+
6
Cu
2+
2
(Fe
2+
 
,Zn)
 
3
Sn
 
2
S
 
12
2.CB.15Velikite
(Cu,Hg)
 
11
Sn
 
4
S
 
16
2.CB.20Chatkalite
Cu
 
6
FeSn
 
2
S
 
8
2.CB.20Mawsonite
Cu
 
6
Fe
 
2
SnS
 
8
2.CB.30Colusite
Cu
 
26
V
 
2
(As,Sn,Sb)
 
6
S
 
32
2.CB.30Germanite
Cu
 
13
Fe
 
2
Ge
 
2
S
 
16
2.CB.30Germanocolusite
Cu
 
26
V
 
2
(Ge,As)
 
6
S
 
32
2.CB.30Nekrasovite
Cu
 
26
V
 
2
(Sn,As,Sb)
 
6
S
 
32
2.CB.30Stibiocolusite
Cu
 
13
V
 
4
(Sb,Sn,As)
 
3
S
 
16
2.CB.30Ovamboite
Cu
 
20
(Fe,Cu,Zn)
 
6
W
 
2
Ge
 
6
S
 
32
2.CB.30Maikainite
Cu
 
20
(Fe,Cu)
 
6
Mo
 
2
Ge
 
6
S
 
32
2.CB.35Hemusite
Cu
 
6
SnMoS
 
8
2.CB.35Kiddcreekite
Cu
 
6
SnWS
 
8
2.CB.35Polkovicite
(Fe,Pb)
 
3
(Ge,Fe)
 
1-x
S
 
4
2.CB.35Renierite
(Cu,Zn)
 
11
(Ge,As)
 
2
Fe
 
4
S
 
16
2.CB.35Vinciennite
Cu
+
7
Cu
2+
3
Fe
2+
2
Fe
3+
2
Sn(As,Sb)S
 
16
2.CB.35Morozeviczite
(Pb,Fe)
 
3
Ge
 
1-x
S
 
4
2.CB.35Catamarcaite
Cu
 
6
GeWS
 
8
2.CB.40Lautite
CuAsS
2.CB.45Cadmoselite
CdSe
2.CB.45Greenockite
CdS
2.CB.45Hypercinnabar
HgS
2.CB.45Wurtzite
(Zn,Fe)S
2.CB.45Rambergite
MnS
2.CB.55Cubanite
CuFe
 
2
S
 
3
2.CB.55Isocubanite
CuFe
 
2
S
 
3
2.CB.60Picotpaulite
TlFe
 
2
S
 
3
2.CB.60Raguinite
TlFeS
 
2
2.CB.65Argentopyrite
AgFe
 
2
S
 
3
2.CB.65Sternbergite
AgFe
 
2
S
 
3
2.CB.70Sulvanite
Cu
 
3
VS
 
4
2.CB.75Vulcanite
CuTe
2.CB.80Empressite
AgTe
2.CB.85Muthmannite
(Ag,Au)Te
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:
6.1.1Kuramite
Cu
 
3
SnS
 
4
6.1.2Mohite
Cu
 
2
SnS
 
3
6.1.3Velikite
(Cu,Hg)
 
11
Sn
 
4
S
 
16
6.1.4Hemusite
Cu
 
6
SnMoS
 
8
6.1.5Kiddcreekite
Cu
 
6
SnWS
 
8
6.1.7Rhodostannite
Cu
 
2
FeSn
 
3
S
 
8
6.1.8Mawsonite
Cu
 
6
Fe
 
2
SnS
 
8
6.1.9Chatkalite
Cu
 
6
FeSn
 
2
S
 
8
6.1.10Ferrokësterite
Cu
 
2
(Fe,Zn)SnS
 
4
6.1.11Kësterite
Cu
 
2
(Zn,Fe)SnS
 
4
6.1.12Stannoidite
Cu
+
6
Cu
2+
2
(Fe
2+
 
,Zn)
 
3
Sn
 
2
S
 
12
6.1.13Černýite
Cu
 
2
(Cd,Zn,Fe)SnS
 
4
6.1.14Vinciennite
Cu
+
7
Cu
2+
3
Fe
2+
2
Fe
3+
2
Sn(As,Sb)S
 
16
6.1.15Pirquitasite
Ag
 
2
ZnSnS
 
4
6.1.16Hocartite
Ag
 
2
(Fe
2+
 
,Zn)SnS
 
4
6.1.17Teallite
(Pb,Sn)SnS
 
2
6.1.18Franckeite
Pb
 
5
Sn
 
3
Sb
 
2
S
 
14
6.1.19Lévyclaudite
Pb
 
8
Sn
 
7
Cu
 
3
(Bi,Sb)
 
3
S
 
28
6.1.20Cylindrite
Pb
 
3
Sn
 
4
FeSb
 
2
S
 
14
6.1.21Potosíite
Pb
 
6
Sn
 
3
FeSb
 
3
S
 
16
6.1.22Sakuraiite
(Cu,Zn,Fe)
 
3
(In,Sn)S
 
4
6.1.23Petrukite
(Cu,Fe,Zn,Ag)
 
3
(Sn,In)S
 
4
6.1.24Incaite
(Pb,Ag)
 
4
Sn
 
4
FeSb
 
2
S
 
13

Other Names for Stannite

Synonyms:
Bell-metal oreBolivianite (of Pauly)KassiterolampriteStannineStannite (of Dana)
Volfsonite
German names:
KassiterolampritStannitZinnkiesZinnkupferglanz
Russian names:
Станнин
Spanish names:
KassiterolampritaStannita
Varieties:
Zincian Stannite

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 Stannite

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.: 224-226.

Canadian Mineralogist (1978): 16: 131.

Canadian Mineralogist (1979): 17: 125.

Internet Links for Stannite

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    Localities for Stannite

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