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Sylvanite

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Emperor Mine, Vatukoula, Tavua Gold Field, Viti Levu, Fiji
© Elmar Lackner

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Formula:
(Au,Ag)
 
2
Te
 
4
System:MonoclinicColour:Grey, white, pale yellow ...
Lustre:MetallicHardness:1½ - 2
Name:Named after the Transylvania region of Romania, where it was first found, and Sylvanium, one of the names proposed for the newly discovered element tellurium, which it contains.
This page provides mineralogical data about Sylvanite.

Classification of Sylvanite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/D.16-20
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:2.EA.05

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
E : Metal Sulfides, M: S <= 1:2
A : M:S = 1:2 - With Cu, Ag, Au
Dana 8th edition ID:2.12.13.3

2 : SULFIDES
12 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:2
Hey's CIM Ref.:3.3.9

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

Type Locality:Baia de Arieş (Offenbánya), Alba Co., Romania
Year of Discovery:1835

Occurrences of Sylvanite

Geological Setting:Low temperature hydrothermal veins. Late forming mineral in medium to high temperature hydrothermal veins.

Physical Properties of Sylvanite

Lustre:Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:Grey, white, pale yellow silver-white
Streak:Silver-white
Hardness (Mohs):1½ - 2
Hardness (Vickers):VHN100=154 - 172 kg/mm2
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Perfect
on {010}
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven
Density (measured):8.16 g/cm3
Density (calculated):8.161 g/cm3

Crystallography of Sylvanite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Class (H-M):2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:P2/b {P1 1 2/b} {P2/c} {P1 2/c 1}{P2/a}
Cell Parameters:a = 8.95(1) Å, b = 4.478(5) Å, c = 14.62(2) Å
β = 145.35(5)°
Ratio:a:b:c = 1.999 : 1 : 3.265
Unit Cell Volume:V 333.14 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:2
Morphology:Short prismatic, thick tabular, skeletal, bladed, columnar, granular.
Twinning:Common on {100}
Crystal Atlas:
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Sylvanite - {100}, {010}, {101}, highly modified
Sylvanite - {100}, {010}, {-101}, {-103}, highly modified

About Crystal Atlas

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The mindat.org Crystal Atlas allows you to view a selection of crystal drawings of real and idealised crystal forms for this mineral and, in certain cases, 3d rotating crystal objects. You need Java to see these. You can download Java for free - click here to download Java

The 3d models and java code are kindly provided by www.smorf.nl. You can control the movement of the models by holding down the left mouse-button over the 3d model and moving your mouse. Keyboard controls are:

: default positions
t/T: decrease/increase transparency x/X: next/previous texture
b/B: next/previous background w: toggle wireframe
s: toggle sticks m: toggle miller indices
k: toggle crystallographic axes =/-: zoom in/out
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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 Sylvanite

Type:Anisotropic
Anisotropism:Very strong
Colour in reflected light:Creamy white
Pleochroism:Strong
Comments:Cream white to leather brown.

Chemical Properties of Sylvanite

Formula:
(Au,Ag)
 
2
Te
 
4
Essential elements:Au, Te
All elements listed in formula:Ag, Au, Te
Common Impurities:Sb,Pb,Cu,Ni

Relationship of Sylvanite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
2.EA.10Calaverite
AuTe
 
2
2.EA.15Kostovite
CuAuTe
 
4
2.EA.15Krennerite
(Au,Ag)Te
 
2
2.EA.20Berndtite
SnS
 
2
2.EA.20Kitkaite
NiTeSe
2.EA.20Melonite
NiTe
 
2
2.EA.20Merenskyite
(Pd,Pt)(Te,Bi)
 
2
2.EA.20Moncheite
(Pt,Pd)(Te,Bi)
 
2
2.EA.20Shuangfengite
IrTe
 
2
2.EA.20Sudovikovite
PtSe
 
2
2.EA.25Verbeekite
PdSe
 
2
2.EA.30Drysdallite
Mo(Se,S)
 
2
2.EA.30Jordisite
MoS
 
2
2.EA.30Molybdenite
MoS
 
2
2.EA.30Tungstenite
WS
 
2
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
3.3.1Calaverite
AuTe
 
2
3.3.2Krennerite
(Au,Ag)Te
 
2
3.3.3Kostovite
CuAuTe
 
4
3.3.4Uytenbogaardtite
Ag
 
3
AuS
 
2
3.3.5Fischesserite
Ag
 
3
AuSe
 
2
3.3.6Petrovskaite
AuAg(S,Se)
3.3.7Petzite
Ag
 
3
AuTe
 
2
3.3.8Muthmannite
AuAgTe
 
2
3.3.10Penzhinite
(Ag,Cu)
 
4
Au(S,Se)
 
4
3.3.11Bezsmertnovite
(Au,Ag)
 
4
Cu(Te,Pb)
3.3.12Bilibinskite
PbCuAu
 
3
Te
 
2
3.3.13Bogdanovite
(Au,Te,Pb)
 
3
(Cu,Fe)
3.3.14Montbrayite
(Au,Sb)
 
2
Te
 
3

Other Names for Sylvanite

Synonyms:
AurotelluriteGoldschmidtiteGraphic TelluriumSylvanite (of Necker)Yellow Tellurium
Other Languages:
French:Or graphique
Sylvane graphique
German:Aurotellurit
Goldschmidtit
Goldtellur
Schrifterz
Sylvanit
Weißgolderz
Latin:Aurum Bismuthicum
Aurum Graphicum
Russian:Сильванит
Spanish:Aurotellurita
Goldschmidtita
Sylvanita

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 Sylvanite

Reference List:von Reichenstein (1785) Phys. Arb. Wien: 3: 48.

von Born (1790): 2: 467.

Klaproth, M.H. (1802): Chemische Untersuchung der siebenbürgischen Golderze, B. Schrifterz, Beiträge zur chemischen Kenntniss der Mineralkörper, Dritter Band, Rottmann Berlin, 16-19

Palache, C. (1900) American Journal of Science: 10: 419.

Spencer (1903) Mineralogical Magazine: 13: 271.

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: 338-341.

American Mineralogist (1949): 34: 342.

Tschermaks Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen (1984): 33: 203-212.

Internet Links for Sylvanite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
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  • Sylvanite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    Localities for Sylvanite

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