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Wittite

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Falun mine, Falun, Dalarna, Sweden
© DV Minerals

Formula:
Pb
 
9
Bi
 
12
(S,Se)
 
27
System:MonoclinicColour:Light lead-gray
Hardness:2 - 2½
Name:Named after T. Witt, Swedish mining engineer at the Falun Mine.


Studies of the distribution of Se in the crystal structure are necessary to determine whether wittite is a Se-rich variety of cannizzarite or an independent species (Moëlo et al., 2008).

Classification of Wittite

IMA status:Questionable/Doubtful
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/E.34-65
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:2.JB.20

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
J : Sulfosalts of PbS archetype
B : Galena derivatives, with Pb
Dana 8th edition ID:3.6.5.2

3 : SULFOSALTS
6 : 2 < ø < 2.49
Hey's CIM Ref.:5.6.31

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

Type Locality:Falun mine, Falun, Dalarna, Sweden
Year of Discovery:1924

Physical Properties of Wittite

Lustre:Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:Light lead-gray
Streak:Black
Hardness (Mohs):2 - 2½
Cleavage:Distinct/Good
One good cleavage. Cleabage surfaces show striations at 57° to 57.5°.

Crystallography of Wittite

Crystal System:Monoclinic
Cell Parameters:a = 29.15Å, b = 4.07Å, c = 15.83Å
β = 98.5°
Ratio:a:b:c = 7.162 : 1 : 3.889
Unit Cell Volume:V 1,857.45 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Chemical Properties of Wittite

Formula:
Pb
 
9
Bi
 
12
(S,Se)
 
27
Essential elements:Bi, Pb, S
All elements listed in formula:Bi, Pb, S, Se

Relationship of Wittite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
2.JB.05Diaphorite
Ag
 
3
Pb
 
2
Sb
 
3
S
 
8
2.JB.10Cosalite
Pb
 
2
Bi
 
2
S
 
5
2.JB.15Freieslebenite
AgPbSbS
 
3
2.JB.15Marrite
AgPbAsS
 
3
2.JB.20Cannizzarite
Pb
 
4
Bi
 
6
S
 
13
2.JB.25aJunoite
Cu
 
2
Pb
 
3
Bi
 
8
(S,Se)
 
16
2.JB.25iNeyite
Pb
 
7
(Cu,Ag)
 
2
Bi
 
6
S
 
17
2.JB.25cNordströmite
CuPb
 
3
Bi
 
7
(Se
 
4
S
 
10
)
2.JB.25gNuffieldite
Pb
 
2
Cu(Pb,Bi)Bi
 
2
S
 
7
2.JB.25dProudite
CuPb
 
7.5
Bi
 
9.33
(S,Se)
 
22
2.JB.25hWeibullite
Pb
 
5
Bi
 
8
Se
 
7
S
 
11
2.JB.25bFelbertalite
Cu
 
2
Pb
 
6
Bi
 
8
S
 
19
2.JB.25jRouxelite
Cu
 
2
HgPb
 
23
Sb
 
27
S
 
65.5
2.JB.25fAngelaite
Cu
 
2
AgPbBiS
 
4
2.JB.25iIMA2008-053
Cu
 
7
Pb
 
27
Bi
 
25
S
 
68
2.JB.30aGeocronite
Pb
 
14
(Sb,As)
 
6
S
 
23
2.JB.30aJordanite
Pb
 
14
(As,Sb)
 
6
S
 
23
2.JB.30bKirkiite
Pb
 
10
Bi
 
3
As
 
3
S
 
19
2.JB.30cTsugaruite
Pb
 
4
As
 
2
S
 
7
2.JB.35cPillaite
Pb
 
9
Sb
 
10
S
 
23
ClO
 
0.5
2.JB.35aZinkenite
Pb
 
9
Sb
 
22
S
 
42
2.JB.35bScainiite
Pb
 
14
Sb
 
30
S
 
54
O
 
5
2.JB.35dPellouxite
(Cu,Ag)Pb
 
10
Sb
 
12
S
 
27
O(Cl,S)
 
0.6
2.JB.40bAschamalmite
Pb
 
6
Bi
 
2
S
 
9
2.JB.40aBursaite
Pb
 
5
Bi
 
4
S
 
11
2.JB.40bEskimoite
Ag
 
7
Pb
 
10
Bi
 
15
S
 
36
2.JB.40aFizélyite
Pb
 
14
Ag
 
5
Sb
 
21
S
 
48
 ?
2.JB.40aGustavite
Ag
 
3
Pb
 
5
Bi
 
11
S
 
24
2.JB.40aLillianite
Pb
 
3
Bi
 
2
S
 
6
2.JB.40cOurayite
Ag
 
3
Pb
 
4
Bi
 
5
S
 
13
2.JB.40aRamdohrite
(Cd,Mn,Fe)Ag
 
5.5
Pb
 
12
Sb
 
21.5
S
 
48
2.JB.40aRoshchinite
Ag
 
19
Pb
 
10
Sb
 
51
S
 
96
2.JB.40dSchirmerite
AgPb
 
2
Bi
 
3
S
 
7
2.JB.40aTreasurite
Ag
 
7
Pb
 
6
Bi
 
15
S
 
32
2.JB.40aUchucchacuaite
AgMnPb
 
3
Sb
 
5
S
 
12
2.JB.40eUstarasite
Pb(Bi,Sb)
 
6
S
 
10
 (?)
2.JB.40aVikingite
Ag
 
5
Pb
 
8
Bi
 
13
S
 
30
2.JB.40aXilingolite
Pb
 
3
Bi
 
2
S
 
6
2.JB.40bHeyrovskýite
Pb
 
10
AgBi
 
5
S
 
18
2.JB.40UM1988-05-S:AgBiCuHgPb
(Hg,Ag,Cu,Pb)
 
5
Pb
 
5
Bi
 
11
S
 
27
2.JB.40UM1988-06-S:AgBiCuHgPb
(Pb,Hg)
 
12
(Cu,Ag)
 
3
(Bi,Sb)
 
10
(S,Te)
 
27
2.JB.40aAndorite IV
Pb
 
18
Ag
 
15
Sb
 
47
S
 
96
2.JB.55Gratonite
Pb
 
9
As
 
4
S
 
15
2.JB.60Marrucciite
Hg
 
3
Pb
 
16
Sb
 
18
S
 
46
2.JB.65Vurroite
Pb
 
20
Sn
 
2
(Bi,As)
 
22
S
 
54
Cl
 
6
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
5.6.1Sartorite
PbAs
 
2
S
 
4
5.6.2Dufrénoysite
Pb
 
2
As
 
2
S
 
5
5.6.3Liveingite
Pb
 
9
As
 
13
S
 
28
5.6.4Baumhauerite
Pb
 
3
As
 
4
S
 
9
5.6.5Gratonite
Pb
 
9
As
 
4
S
 
15
5.6.6Jordanite
Pb
 
14
(As,Sb)
 
6
S
 
23
5.6.7Fülöppite
Pb
 
3
Sb
 
8
S
 
15
5.6.8Zinkenite
Pb
 
9
Sb
 
22
S
 
42
5.6.9Plagionite
Pb
 
5
Sb
 
8
S
 
17
5.6.10Heteromorphite
Pb
 
7
Sb
 
8
S
 
19
5.6.11Launayite
Pb
 
22
Sb
 
26
S
 
61
5.6.12Playfairite
Pb
 
16
Sb
 
18
S
 
43
5.6.13Semseyite
Pb
 
9
Sb
 
8
S
 
21
5.6.14Madocite
Pb
 
17
Sb
 
16
S
 
41
5.6.15Boulangerite
Pb
 
5
Sb
 
4
S
 
11
5.6.17Robinsonite
Pb
 
4
Sb
 
6
S
 
13
5.6.18Guettardite
Pb(Sb,As)
 
2
S
 
4
5.6.19Twinnite
Pb(Sb,As)
 
2
S
 
4
5.6.20Veenite
Pb
 
2
(Sb,As)
 
2
S
 
5
5.6.21Sorbyite
Pb
 
19
(Sb,As)
 
20
S
 
49
5.6.22Geocronite
Pb
 
14
(Sb,As)
 
6
S
 
23
5.6.23Galenobismutite
PbBi
 
2
S
 
4
5.6.24Cosalite
Pb
 
2
Bi
 
2
S
 
5
5.6.25Cannizzarite
Pb
 
4
Bi
 
6
S
 
13
5.6.26Lillianite
Pb
 
3
Bi
 
2
S
 
6
5.6.27Giessenite
Pb
 
27
Cu
 
2
(Bi,Sb)
 
19
S
 
57
5.6.28 Platynite
5.6.29Xilingolite
Pb
 
3
Bi
 
2
S
 
6
5.6.30Weibullite
Pb
 
5
Bi
 
8
Se
 
7
S
 
11
5.6.32Kirkiite
Pb
 
10
Bi
 
3
As
 
3
S
 
19
5.6.33Ustarasite
Pb(Bi,Sb)
 
6
S
 
10
 (?)

Other Names for Wittite

Other Languages:
Afrikaans:Wittite
German:Wittit
Spanish:Wittita
Varieties:
Argentian Wittite

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 Wittite

Reference List:Johansson (1924), Arkiv för Kemi, Mineralogi och Geologi: 9: 2.

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: 451.

American Mineralogist (1977): 62: 397.

Mineralogy and Petrology (1992): 46: 137-153.

American Mineralogist (1993): 78: 238.

Borodaev, Y.S., Garavelli, A., Garbarino, C., Grillo, S.M., Mozgova, N.N., Organova, N.I., Trubkin, N.V., and Vurro, F. (2000) Rare sulfosalts from Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Italy. III. Wittite and cannizzarite. Canadian Mineralogist: 38: 23-34.

Moëlo, Y., Makovicky, E., Mozgova, N.N., Jambor, J.L., Cook, N., Pring, A., Paar, W., Nickel, E.H., Graeser, S., Karup-Møller, S.; Balić-Žunić, T.; Mumme, W.G., Vurro, F., Topa, D., Bindi, L., Bente, K., Shimizu, M. (2008): the IMA CNMNC Sulfosalt Subcommittee. Revision of sulfosalt definition and nomenclature. A review of sulfosalts systematics. European Journal of Mineralogy, 20, 7-46.

Internet Links for Wittite

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    Localities for Wittite

    Hide Locality List
    The map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.
    (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.
    Australia
     
    • Northern Territory
      • Tennant Inlier
        • Tennant Creek
    		Econ Geol (1997) 92:468-484
    Germany
     
    • Baden-Württemberg
      • Black Forest
        • St Blasien
          • Urberg
    		K. Walenta: "Die Mineralien des Schwarzwaldes", Weise (Munich), 1992
    Italy
     
    • Sicily
      • Messina Province
        • Lipari
          • Eolie Islands (Aeolian Islands)
            • Vulcano Island
    		BORODAEV Y.S., GARAVELLI A., GARBARINO C., GRILLO S.M., MOZGOVA N.N., ORGANOVA N.I., TRUBKIN N.V., VURRO F. (2000): Rare sulfosalts from Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Italy. III. Wittite and cannizzarite. - Canadian Mineralogist - 38, 23-34.
    Russia
     
    • Far-Eastern Region
      • Magadanskaya Oblast'
        • Kolyma River Basin
          • Ducat District
            • Omsukchan
    		Can Min 38:23-34; Pekov, I. (1998) Minerals First discovered on the territory of the former Soviet Union 369p. Ocean Pictures, Moscow
    • Urals Region
      • Southern Urals
        • Chelyabinsk Oblast'
          • Plast
            • Kochkar' District
    		Pekov, I. (1998) Minerals First discovered on the territory of the former Soviet Union 369p. Ocean Pictures, Moscow
    Slovakia
     
    • Košice Region
      • Eastern Slovenské Rudohorie Mts
        • Rochovce
    		Koděra, M. et al., 1986 a 1990 : Topografická mineralógia Slovenska, diel 1- 3, Veda – Vydavateľstvo SAV, Bratislava, 1990, 1 – 1590
    Sweden
     
    • Dalarna
      • Falun
    		Arkiv Kemi Min.Geol.(1924) 9, 2
    Switzerland
     
    • Wallis (Valais)
      • Le Trient Valley
        • Les Marécottes
    		Am Min 88:4 pp 676-685
    USA
     
    • Arizona
      • Cochise Co.
        • Dragoon Mts
          • Middle Pass District
    		Anthony, Bideaux, Bladh, Nichols: "Handbook of Mineralogy", Vol. 1, 1990
            • Middlemarch Pass area
    		Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd.ed.: 422.
    Mineral and/or Locality
    Google
     
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