Rickardite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Rickardite
Thomas A. Rickard
Formula:
Cu7Te5
Colour:
Red-violet (fresh), darkens
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
3½
Specific Gravity:
7.54
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
Named after Thomas Arthur Rickard (1864–1953), mining engineer and Editor of the Engineering and Mining Journal, New York and London.
This page provides mineralogical data about Rickardite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3417
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3417:9
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
2a25c0d0-00c6-4949-8184-9887197190bb
IMA Classification of Rickardite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
Cu3-xTe2
First published:
1903
Type description reference:
Classification of Rickardite
2.BA.30
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
B : Metal Sulfides, M: S > 1: 1 (mainly 2: 1)
A : With Cu, Ag, Au
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
B : Metal Sulfides, M: S > 1: 1 (mainly 2: 1)
A : With Cu, Ag, Au
2.16.15.1
2 : SULFIDES
16 : Miscellaneous
2 : SULFIDES
16 : Miscellaneous
3.1.17
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
1 : Sulphides etc. of Cu
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
1 : Sulphides etc. of Cu
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rkd | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Rickardite
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Red-violet (fresh), darkens
Streak:
Red
Hardness:
3½ on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN50=72 - 85 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Tenacity:
Brittle
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven
Density:
7.54 g/cm3 (Measured)
Optical Data of Rickardite
Anisotropism:
Strong; in fiery orange colors
Reflectivity:
| Wavelength | R1 | R2 |
|---|---|---|
| 400nm | 28.3% | 37.2% |
| 420nm | 26.1% | 35.5% |
| 440nm | 23.5% | 33.2% |
| 460nm | 20.8% | 30.5% |
| 480nm | 17.8% | 27.5% |
| 500nm | 15.1% | 24.8% |
| 520nm | 12.8% | 22.3% |
| 540nm | 11.5% | 20.3% |
| 560nm | 11.8% | 18.9% |
| 580nm | 14.5% | 18.2% |
| 600nm | 19.6% | 18.4% |
| 620nm | 26.0% | 19.4% |
| 640nm | 32.7% | 21.0% |
| 660nm | 38.6% | 23.3% |
| 680nm | 43.9% | 26.0% |
| 700nm | 48.1% | 28.6% |
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Top of box is 100%. Peak reflectance is 48.1%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Pleochroism:
Strong
Comments:
Carmine-red to violet-gray
Chemistry of Rickardite
Mindat Formula:
Cu7Te5
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Rickardite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group:
Pmmn
Setting:
Pmmn
Cell Parameters:
a = 4 Å, b = 19.89 Å, c = 12.22 Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.201 : 1 : 0.614
Unit Cell V:
972.22 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:
Massive, very fine grained, somewhat porous; may be botryoidal.
Comment:
pseudotetragonal. synthetic
Crystal Structure
Load
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0000047 | Rickardite | Forman S A, Peacock M A (1949) Crystal structure of rickardite, Cu4-xTe2 American Mineralogist 34 441-451 |  | 1949 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2.07 Å | (100) |
| 3.36 Å | (60) |
| 2.55 Å | (40) |
| 1.988 Å | (40) |
| 1.158 Å | (30) |
| 2.82 Å | (20) |
| 1.706 Å | (20) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| High-𝑇 alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12]) |
Type Occurrence of Rickardite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Small lens shaped masses intimately associated with native tellurium
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, 114590
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Reference:
Ford, W.E. (1903) Rickardite, a new mineral. American Journal of Science: 165: 69-70.
Other Language Names for Rickardite
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
| 14 photos of Rickardite associated with Gold | Au |
| 9 photos of Rickardite associated with Selenium | Se |
| 8 photos of Rickardite associated with Altaite | PbTe |
| 6 photos of Rickardite associated with Goldfieldite | (Cu4◻2)(Cu4Cu+2)Te4S12S |
| 5 photos of Rickardite associated with Tellurium | Te |
| 4 photos of Rickardite associated with Bambollaite | Cu(Se,Te)2 |
| 3 photos of Rickardite associated with Sylvanite | AgAuTe4 |
| 3 photos of Rickardite associated with Hessite | Ag2Te |
| 3 photos of Rickardite associated with Vulcanite | CuTe |
| 2 photos of Rickardite associated with Chlorite Group |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 2.BA. | Orileyite | (Fe,Cu)2As |
| 2.BA. | Alburnite | Ag8GeTe2S4 |
| 2.BA. | Dzierżanowskite | CaCu2S2 |
| 2.BA. | Makotoite | Ag12(Cu3Au)S8 |
| 2.BA. | Xuwenyuanite | Ag9Fe3+Te2S4 |
| 2.BA.05 | Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| 2.BA.05 | Djurleite | Cu31S16 |
| 2.BA.05 | Geerite | Cu8S5 |
| 2.BA.05 | Roxbyite | Cu9S5 |
| 2.BA.10 | Anilite | Cu7S4 |
| 2.BA.10 | Digenite | Cu9S5 |
| 2.BA.15 | Bornite | Cu5FeS4 |
| 2.BA.20 | Bellidoite | Cu2Se |
| 2.BA.20 | Berzelianite | Cu2-xSe (x ≈ 0.12) |
| 2.BA.25 | Athabascaite | Cu5Se4 |
| 2.BA.25 | Umangite | Cu3Se2 |
| 2.BA.30 | Weissite | Cu2-xTe |
| 2.BA.35 | Acanthite | Ag2S |
| 2.BA.35 | Spryite | Ag8(As3+0.5As5+0.5)S6 |
| 2.BA.40 | Mckinstryite | Ag5-xCu3+xS4 |
| 2.BA.40 | Stromeyerite | AgCuS |
| 2.BA.40d | UM2003-13-S:AgAuCu | Ag6AuCu2S5 |
| 2.BA.42 | Honeaite | Au3TlTe2 |
| 2.BA.45 | Jalpaite | Ag3CuS2 |
| 2.BA.45 | Kurilite | Ag8Te3Se |
| 2.BA.45 | Selenojalpaite | Ag3CuSe2 |
| 2.BA.47 | Spiridonovite | (Cu1-xAgx)2Te |
| 2.BA.50 | Eucairite | AgCuSe |
| 2.BA.50 | Wuyanzhiite | Cu2S |
| 2.BA.52 | Argentite | Ag2S |
| 2.BA.55 | Aguilarite | Ag4SeS |
| 2.BA.55 | Naumannite | Ag2Se |
| 2.BA.60 | Cervelleite | Ag4TeS |
| 2.BA.60 | Hessite | Ag2Te |
| 2.BA.60 | Chenguodaite | Ag9Fe3+Te2S4 |
| 2.BA.65 | Henryite | (Cu,Ag)3+xTe2 , with x ~ 0.40 |
| 2.BA.65 | Stützite | Ag5-xTe3, x = 0.24-0.36 |
| 2.BA.70 | Argyrodite | Ag8GeS6 |
| 2.BA.70 | Canfieldite | Ag8SnS6 |
| 2.BA.70 | Putzite | (Cu4.7Ag3.3)GeS6 |
| 2.BA.75 | Fischesserite | Ag3AuSe2 |
| 2.BA.75 | Penzhinite | (Ag,Cu)4Au(S,Se)4 |
| 2.BA.75 | Petrovskaite | AuAgS |
| 2.BA.75 | Petzite | Ag3AuTe2 |
| 2.BA.75 | Uytenbogaardtite | Ag3AuS2 |
| 2.BA.80 | Bezsmertnovite | (Au,Ag)4Cu(Te,Pb) |
| 2.BA.80 | Bilibinskite | PbCu2Au3Te2 |
| 2.BA.80 | Bogdanovite | (Au,Te,Pb)3(Cu,Fe) |
Other Information
Notes:
Fusable at 1. Gives a pale azure blue flame tinged in the outer parts with green.
Heated in concentrated sulphuric acid gives reddish-violet color of tellurium.
When dissolved in nitric acid and neutralized with ammonium hydroxide, gives the deep blue color of copper.
Heated in concentrated sulphuric acid gives reddish-violet color of tellurium.
When dissolved in nitric acid and neutralized with ammonium hydroxide, gives the deep blue color of copper.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Rickardite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3417.html
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Mineral Dealers:
References for Rickardite
Localities for Rickardite
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Australia | |
| Lehrmann (2012) |
| Afifi et al. (1988) |
| Mock et al. (1987) |
| Simpson (1948) |
Bolivia | |
| USGS Bulletin # 1975 |
Bulgaria | |
| Tsonev et al. (Eds.) |
Canada | |
| British Columbia Geological Survey +1 other reference |
| RIDLAND (1941) |
| Coleman (1953) | |
| RIDLAND (1941) | |
| Afifi et al. (1988) |
| King (n.d.) |
| Sabina (2003) |
| Afifi et al. (1988) | |
Chile | |
| Jannas et al. (1990) |
China | |
| Shuzhang Tian et al. (1993) +1 other reference |
| pubs.usgs.gov (2006) +1 other reference |
Cuba | |
| Lastra-Rivero et al. (2018) |
Czech Republic | |
| Economic Geology 92 (1997) |
El Salvador | |
| American Mineralogist (1930) |
Ghana | |
| Mineralogical Magazine 1990 54 : 617-627 +1 other reference |
Greece | |
| Kolitsch et al. (2015) +2 other references |
| Bonev et al. (2005) +2 other references |
Japan | |
| 石橋正夫. (1956) +4 other references |
| Watanabe (1934) +2 other references | |
| Okamoto collection (curated at the Geological Survey museum, Japan) +2 other references |
| Manabe Minerals specimens +1 other reference |
Kazakhstan | |
| Глоба В.А. Месторождение Манка - новый геолого-промышленный тип месторождений золота. // Изв. НАН РК et al. (403) |
Mexico | |
| Lapis 2001 (1) |
| Bonev et al. (2005) | |
Papua New Guinea | |
| Lindley (1998) |
Russia | |
| Parada et al. (2012, August) |
| Andreeva et al. (2013) |
| V.A. Kovalenker (2005) +1 other reference |
| Golikov et al. (1999) |
| Jambor et al. (1994) |
Saudi Arabia | |
| Afifi et al. (1988) |
Slovakia | |
| Duda et. all. |
| Ďuďa R. (2001) | |
South Africa | |
| Cairncross (2004) |
Sweden | |
| Jonssona et al. (2022) +1 other reference |
USA | |
| Anthony et al. (1995) |
| American Mineralogist (1930) |
| Crawford (1930) +3 other references | |
| Criddle et al. (1983) +3 other references | |
| Anthony et al. (1995) |
| Anthony et al. (1995) | |
| Afifi et al. (1988) |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Eckel et al. (1997) | |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Kelly et al. (1969) +1 other reference |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Ford (1903) |
| - (2005) | |
| POHL et al. (1990) |
| Eckel et al. (1997) | |
| Dana 7:I:199. +1 other reference |
| Northrop et al. (1996) |
| Northrop et al. (1996) +1 other reference | |
| Northrop et al. (1996) +1 other reference | |
| Collected and analyzed by Joy Desor. |
| Collected by and in the collection of ... |
Uzbekistan | |
| Kovalenker et al. (1997) +1 other reference |
Zimbabwe | |
| Afifi et al. (1988) +1 other reference |
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Good Hope Mine, Vulcan, Vulcan Mining District, Gunnison County, Colorado, USA