Emplectite

Tannenbaum Mine, Antonsthal, Breitenbrunn District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
© Thomas Witzke

Show Emplectite Photos (33)

Formula:

CuBiS

System:

Orthorhombic

Colour:

Greyish to tin-white

Lustre:

Metallic

Hardness:

Name:

From Greek έμπλεκτος, "emplektos", entwined or interwoven, for the intimate association with quartz at the type locality

This page provides mineralogical data about Emplectite.

Classification of Emplectite

IMA status:

Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"

Strunz 8th edition ID:

2/E.04-20

Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:

2.HA.05

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:

3.7.5.2

3 : SULFOSALTS
7 : ø = 2

Hey's CIM Ref.:

5.1.7

5 : Sulphosalts - Sulpharsenites and Sulphobismuthites (those containing Sn, Ge,or V are in Section 6)
1 : Sulpharsenites etc. of Cu

mindat.org URL:

http://www.mindat.org/min-1378.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

Type Occurrence of Emplectite

Type Locality:

Tannenbaum Mine, Antonsthal, Breitenbrunn District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany

Year of Discovery:

1817

Physical Properties of Emplectite

Lustre:

Metallic

Diaphaneity (Transparency):

Opaque

Colour:

Greyish to tin-white

Hardness (Mohs):

Tenacity:

Brittle

Cleavage:

Perfect
{010} Perfect; {001} less so.

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal

Density (measured):

6.38 g/cm³

Density (calculated):

6.426 g/cm³

Crystallography of Emplectite

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic

Class (H-M):

mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal

Space Group:

Pmna {P2/m 2/n 2₁/a}

Cell Parameters:

a = 6.13Å, b = 14.54Å, c = 3.89Å

Ratio:

a:b:c = 0.422 : 1 : 0.268

Unit Cell Volume:

V 346.72 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Morphology:

Prismatic, striated [001], flattened {010}.

Twinning:

Contact twinning (observed in polished sections).

Optical Data of Emplectite

Type:

Anisotropic

Anisotropism:

Strong

Chemical Properties of Emplectite

Formula:

CuBiS

Essential elements:

Bi, Cu, S

All elements listed in formula:

Bi, Cu, S

Relationship of Emplectite to other Species

2.HA.05

Chalcostibite

CuSbS

2.HA.10

Miargyrite

AgSbS

2.HA.20

Berthierite

FeSb

2.HA.20

Garavellite

FeSbBiS

2.HA.20

Clerite

MnSb

2.HA.25

Aramayoite

Ag(Sb,Bi)S

2.HA.25

Baumstarkite

AgSbS

5.1.1

Sinnerite

5.1.2

Tennantite

(Cu,Ag,Fe,Zn)

5.1.4

Chalcostibite

CuSbS

5.1.5

Tetrahedrite

(Cu,Fe,Ag,Zn)

5.1.6

Goldfieldite

(Te,Sb,As)

5.1.8

Cuprobismutite

5.1.9

Wittichenite

BiS

5.1.10

Hodrušite

5.1.11

Giraudite

(Cu,Zn,Ag)

(As,Sb)

(Se,S)

5.1.11

Permingeatite

SbSe

Other Names for Emplectite

Synonyms:

Strahliges Wismuthkupfererz

Tannenite

Termanite

Other Languages:

German:	Emplectit Emplektit Hemichalcit Kupferwismutglanz (of Schneider) Tannenit Termanit
Russian:	Эмплектит
Spanish:	Emplectita Tannenita Termanita

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 Emplectite

Reference List:

Selb (1817) Die oryktognostische Mineralien-Sammlung des Herrn Oberbergrathes Selb.- Taschenbuch für die gesammte Mineralogie 11, p. 441 and 451-453.

Kenngott (1853): 125.

Schneider (1853), Ann. Phys.: 90: 166.

Dana (1854): 73.

Kobell (1864): 600.

Dana (1868): 86

Hillebrand (1884), American Journal of Science: 27: 355.

Zeitschrift für Kristallographie: 141: 387-402.

Palache, C. and Peacock (1933), American Mineralogist: 18: 277.

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: 435-437.