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Tetradymite

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Wurten glacier, Wurten, Innerfragant, Goldberg group, Hohe Tauern Mts, Carinthia, Austria

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Formula:
Bi
 
2
Te
 
2
S
System:TrigonalColour:Bright steel-gray, ...
Hardness:1½ - 2
Name:From Greek "tetra", four, and a contraction of "didymos", twin, alluding to its usual occurrence as fourling twins.


Tetradymite Group.

Classification of Tetradymite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/D.09-60
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:2.DC.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
C : Variable M:S
Dana 8th edition ID:2.11.7.1

2 : SULFIDES
11 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 2:3
Hey's CIM Ref.:3.7.29

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 Tetradymite

Type Locality:Župkov (Zsubko; Schubkau), Vtáčnik Mts, Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia
Year of Discovery:1831

Physical Properties of Tetradymite

Lustre:Metallic, Dull
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:Bright steel-gray, tin-white, tarnishes iridescent to dull
Streak:Pale steel-gray
Hardness (Mohs):1½ - 2

Crystallography of Tetradymite

Crystal System:Trigonal
Cell Parameters:a = 4.23Å, c = 29.58Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 6.993
Unit Cell Volume:V 458.36 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Crystal Atlas:
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Tetradymite - {012}, {001}, {101}

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Chemical Properties of Tetradymite

Formula:
Bi
 
2
Te
 
2
S
Essential elements:Bi, S, Te
All elements listed in formula:Bi, S, Te
Common Impurities:Se,Au,Cu,Pb

Relationship of Tetradymite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
2.DC.05Hedleyite
Bi
 
7
Te
 
3
2.DC.05Ikunolite
Bi
 
4
(S,Se)
 
3
2.DC.05Ingodite
Bi
 
2
TeS
2.DC.05Joséite-B
Bi
 
4
Te
 
2
S
2.DC.05Kawazulite
Bi
 
2
Te
 
2
Se
2.DC.05Laitakarite
Bi
 
4
Se
 
2
S
2.DC.05Nevskite
Bi(Se,S)
2.DC.05Paraguanajuatite
Bi
 
2
(Se,S)
 
3
2.DC.05Pilsenite
Bi
 
4
Te
 
3
2.DC.05Platynite
2.DC.05Skippenite
Bi
 
2
TeSe
 
2
2.DC.05Sulphotsumoite
Bi
 
3
Te
 
2
S
2.DC.05Tellurantimony
Sb
 
2
Te
 
3
2.DC.05Tellurobismuthite
Bi
 
2
Te
 
3
2.DC.05Tsumoite
BiTe
2.DC.05Baksanite
Bi
 
6
Te
 
2
S
 
3
2.DC.05Joséite-C
Bi
 
16
Te
 
3
S
 
9
2.DC.05Protojoséite
Bi
 
4
TeS
 
2
2.DC.05Sztrókayite
Bi
 
3
TeS
 
2
2.DC.05Vihorlatite
Bi
 
8+x
(Se,Te,S)
 
11-x
2.DC.05Telluronevskite
Bi
 
3
TeSe
 
2
2.DC.05UM1983-09-S:BiPbTe
PbBi
 
3
S
 
2
Te
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)
3.7.19Guanajuatite
Bi
 
2
(Se,S)
 
3
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
3.7.30Joséite
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 Tetradymite

Synonyms:
Xaphyllite
Other Languages:
German:Tetradymit
Xaphyllit
Russian:Тетрадимит
Spanish:Tetradymita
Xaphyllita

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 Tetradymite

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.: 161-164.

Glatz, A.C. (1967), American Mineralogist: 52: 161.

Zapiski Vserossiyskogo Mineralogicheskogo Obshchestva (1981): 110: 596.

Articles/Blogs about Tetradymite

Article entries:
DiscoveryTibor Horváth

Internet Links for Tetradymite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
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  • Search for Tetradymite in the Natural History Museum (London) online catalogue
  • Tetradymite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    Localities for Tetradymite

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