Smythite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Smythite
Formula:
(Fe,Ni)3+xS4 (x=0-0.3)
Colour:
brownish black, bronze-yellow
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
4½
Specific Gravity:
4.32
Crystal System:
Trigonal
Member of:
Name:
Named by Richard C. Erd, Howard T. Evans, Jr., and Donald H. Richter in 1957 in honor of Charles Henry Smyth, Jr. (31 March 1866, Oswego, New York, USA - 4 April 1937, Princeton, New Jersey, USA), Professor of Economic Geology, Princeton University, New Jersey, USA.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3691
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3691:3
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
9d7c0356-bae4-4df4-82b8-ebbb6d028d59
IMA Classification of Smythite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
(Fe,Ni)3+xS4 (x ≈ 0-0.3)
First published:
1956
Classification of Smythite
2.CC.10
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
C : With Ni, Fe, Co, PGE, etc.
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
C : With Ni, Fe, Co, PGE, etc.
2.8.10.2
2 : SULFIDES
8 : AmXp, with m:p = 1:1
2 : SULFIDES
8 : AmXp, with m:p = 1:1
3.9.7
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
9 : Sulphides etc. of Fe
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
9 : Sulphides etc. of Fe
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 |
---|---|---|
Syt | 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 Smythite
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
brownish black, bronze-yellow
Comment:
Black with tinge of brown against a white surface; bronze yellow reflections from {0001}
Streak:
dark gray
Hardness:
4½ on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Perfect
{0001)
{0001)
Fracture:
Sub-Conchoidal
Comment:
Flexible and elastic in thin lamellae
Density:
4.32 g/cm3 (Measured) 4.32 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Comment:
Taylor and Williams (1972) in their redefinition of Smythite say both measured and calculated densities are ~4.32, replacing the older value of 4.06
Optical Data of Smythite
Anisotropism:
Strong with yellow and blue-grey interference colors
Pleochroism:
Strong
Comments:
Greyish yellow to reddish brown
Comments:
Tends to be free of inclusions or intergrowths; strongly resembles pyrrhotite
Chemistry of Smythite
Mindat Formula:
(Fe,Ni)3+xS4 (x=0-0.3)
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Smythite
Crystal System:
Trigonal
Class (H-M):
3m (3 2/m) - Hexagonal Scalenohedral
Space Group:
R3m
Cell Parameters:
a = 3.465 Å, c = 34.34 Å
Ratio:
a:c = 1 : 9.911
Unit Cell V:
357.06 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
3
Morphology:
Thin pseudohexagonal plates [0001] and "a rhombohedron". Crystals are so thin at the type locality than the prism was not observed. Twinning common producing warped hexagonal plates. Impossible to visually distinguish at the type locality, and nearby locations, from pyrrhotite with which it is constantly associated (Erd et al., 1957).
Comment:
Also given as 3.47, 34.50 A. Z=1 (ICDD 25-1182)
Crystal Structure
Load
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Show
Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
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Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
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Display Options
Black Background | White Background
Perspective On | Perspective Off
2D | Stereo | Red-Blue | Red-Cyan
Black Background | White Background
Perspective On | Perspective Off
2D | Stereo | Red-Blue | Red-Cyan
View
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
Rotation
Stop | Start
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Labels
Console Off | On | Grey | Yellow
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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) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0000080 | Smythite | Erd R C, Evans H T, Richter D H (1957) Smythite, a new iron sulfide, and associated pyrrhotite from Indiana American Mineralogist 42 309-333 | 1957 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacing | Intensity |
---|---|
11.5 Å | (100) |
5.75 Å | (17) |
3.833 Å | (7) |
2.994 Å | (31) |
2.961 Å | (6) |
2.755 Å | (5) |
2.566 Å | (25) |
2.266 Å | (15) |
2.170 Å | (17) |
1.989 Å | (14) |
1.906 Å | (11) |
1.735 Å | (17) |
1.716 Å | (2) |
1.682 Å | (2) |
1.501 Å | (2) |
1.438 Å | (3) |
1.355 Å | (2) |
1.308 Å | (2) |
1.107 Å | (4) |
1.044 Å | (2) |
Comments:
ICDD 25-1182
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
---|---|
Stage 2: Planetesimal differentiation and alteration | 4.566-4.550 |
6 : Secondary asteroid phases | 4.566-4.560 |
High-𝑇 alteration and/or metamorphism | |
33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12]) |
Type Occurrence of Smythite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Minute flakes in calcite
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
1) Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, 106149.
2) National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, 112704.
2) National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, 112704.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Inclusions in calcite crystals in quartz geodes in limestone.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Reference:
Erd, R.C., Evans, H.T. (1956) The compound Fe3S4 (smythite) found in nature. Journal of the American Chemical Society: 78: 2017-2017.
Other Language Names for Smythite
Relationship of Smythite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of this group:
Pyrrhotite | Fe1-xS | Mon. |
Troilite | FeS | Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P63/mmc |
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
21 photos of Smythite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
14 photos of Smythite associated with Whewellite | Ca(C2O4) · H2O |
12 photos of Smythite associated with Calcite | CaCO3 |
10 photos of Smythite associated with Baryte | BaSO4 |
7 photos of Smythite associated with Dolomite | CaMg(CO3)2 |
6 photos of Smythite associated with Siderite | FeCO3 |
3 photos of Smythite associated with Pyrrhotite | Fe1-xS |
2 photos of Smythite associated with Symplesite | Fe2+3(AsO4)2 · 8H2O |
2 photos of Smythite associated with Parasymplesite | Fe2+3(AsO4)2 · 8H2O |
1 photo of Smythite associated with Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
2.CC. | Tilkerodeite | Pd2HgSe3 |
2.CC. | UM2007-26-S:CuFeIrNiPtRh | (Ir,Cu,Ni,Pt,Rh,Fe)9S11 |
2.CC. | Crowningshieldite | (Ni0.9Fe0.10)S |
2.CC. | Eliopoulosite | V7S8 |
2.CC. | Kuvaevite | Ir5Ni10S16 |
2.CC. | Torryweiserite | Rh5Ni10S16 |
2.CC. | Tamuraite | Ir5Fe10S16 |
2.CC. | Ferrotorryweiserite | Rh5Fe10S16 |
2.CC.05 | Achávalite | FeSe |
2.CC.05 | Breithauptite | NiSb |
2.CC.05 | Freboldite | CoSe |
2.CC.05 | Kotulskite | Pd(Te,Bi)2-x (x ≈ 0.4) |
2.CC.05 | Langisite | CoAs |
2.CC.05 | Nickeline | NiAs |
2.CC.05 | Sederholmite | beta-NiSe |
2.CC.05 | Sobolevskite | PdBi |
2.CC.05 | Stumpflite | PtSb |
2.CC.05 | Sudburyite | PdSb |
2.CC.05 | Jaipurite | CoS |
2.CC.05 | Zlatogorite | NiCuSb2 |
2.CC.10 | Pyrrhotite | Fe1-xS |
2.CC.10 | Troilite | FeS |
2.CC.15 | Cherepanovite | RhAs |
2.CC.15 | Modderite | (Co,Fe)As |
2.CC.15 | Ruthenarsenite | (Ru,Ni)As |
2.CC.15 | Westerveldite | (Fe,Ni,Co)As |
2.CC.15 | Minakawaite | RhSb |
2.CC.20 | Millerite | NiS |
2.CC.20 | Mäkinenite | γ-NiSe |
2.CC.20 | UM1990-38-S:CuFeIrNiPtRh | (Ni,Fe,Rh,Cu,Ir,Pt)S |
2.CC.25 | Mackinawite | FeS |
2.CC.30 | Hexatestibiopanickelite | (Pd,Ni)(Sb,Te) ? |
2.CC.30 | Vavřínite | Ni2SbTe2 |
2.CC.35a | Braggite | PdPt3S4 |
2.CC.35b | Cooperite | PtS |
2.CC.35a | Vysotskite | PdS |
2.CC.45 | Jacutingaite | Pt2HgSe3 |
2.CC.50 | Imgreite | NiTe (?) |
Fluorescence of Smythite
Not fluorescent.
Other Information
Magnetism:
Ferromagnetic
Thermal Behaviour:
Heating at 400° C changed smythite to pyrrhotite in 18 hours; at lower temperature (290° C) smythite was a mixture of smythite + pyrrhotite in the same time.
Notes:
Strongly ferromagnetic
Special Storage/
Display Requirements:
Display Requirements:
Easily rusts/oxidises to goethite when exposed to water or moist air although pyrrhotite tarnished and pitted sooner than smythite; crystals in calcite tend to be unoxidised and stable.
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 Smythite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3691.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
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External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
References for Smythite
Reference List:
Taylor, Lawrence A. (1970) Smythite, Fe3+xS4 and associated minerals from the Silverfields Mine, Cobalt, Ontario. American Mineralogist, 55 (9-10) 1650-1658
Nickel, E. H. (1972) Nickeliferous smythite from some Canadian occurrences. The Canadian Mineralogist, 11 (2) 514-519
Localities for Smythite
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).
Struck out - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality.
Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Antarctica | |
| El Gorsey et al. (1988) |
Australia | |
| Riley (1980) |
| Marston (1984) |
| Nickel et al. (1994) |
| Marston (1984) |
Botswana | |
| Brotherton (1979) |
Bulgaria | |
| Kerestedjian (1997) |
Canada | |
| Canadian Mineralogist +2 other references |
Menard et al. (1996) | |
| Can Mineral 1984 22: 13-21 |
| Nickel (1972) |
| Nickel (1972) |
| 159-161. +1 other reference |
| Dana's New Mineralogy +4 other references |
| Nickel (1972) |
| 176-178. +2 other references |
| Reyx et al. (1993) |
China | |
| Shimpei Kano et al. (1988) |
| El Gorsey et al. (1988) |
| Xueming Wang et al. (2002) |
Costa Rica | |
| Schwarzenbach et al. (2014) +1 other reference |
Czech Republic | |
| Lapis 2002 (7/8) |
| Beran +3 other references |
France | |
| Pélisson (1989) |
| Chauris (2014) |
| Chauris (2014) |
| Kolitsch (1997) |
| R. Pierrot |
Germany | |
| Walenta (1998) |
| Walenta (1992) |
| Walenta (1992) |
| Weiß (1990) |
| Krupp (1989) |
| Wolfgang Henckel |
Ghana | |
| Milési et al. (1991) |
Italy | |
| 415. +1 other reference |
| Piccoli et al. (2007) |
| Mattioli (1988) +1 other reference |
| Orlandi et al. (1996) +1 other reference |
| Orlandi et al. (2004) |
| Orlandi et al. (1994) +1 other reference |
| Orlandi et al. (1994) +2 other references |
Morino et al. (2016) | |
| Orlandi et al. (2009) |
| Morino et al. (2016) |
Orlandi et al. (1989) +1 other reference | |
| Morino et al. (2016) |
Orlandi et al. (2009) | |
| Orlandi et al. (2002) |
Orlandi et al. (2002) | |
Japan | |
| specimen seen at Kyoto show |
Yamada (2004) | |
| Imai et al (1976) |
Mongolia | |
| Peretyazhko et al. (2017) |
Norway | |
| Foslie (1950) +1 other reference |
Poland | |
| Mochnacka et al. (2015) |
Russia | |
| Kalugin et al. (2021) |
| Ashchepkov et al. (2021) |
Senegal | |
| Schwartz et al. (2004) |
Slovakia | |
| Koděra (1986) |
| Martin Števko-unpublished |
Sri Lanka | |
| Samarakoon et al. (2021) |
Switzerland | |
| Stalder et al. (1998) |
| Stalder et al. (1998) |
| Stalder et al. (1998) |
| Stalder et al. (1998) |
| Stalder et al. (1998) +1 other reference |
| Stalder et al. (1998) |
| Rüegg et al. (2002) +1 other reference |
| Ansermet (2012) |
| Rüegg et al. (2002) +1 other reference |
Ukraine | |
World of Stones v.9 | |
| Arbuzov V.A. et al. (1967) |
| Alexander I. Tischenko (1996. Minerals of the Crimea - World of stones, 1996, #9, p. 9-18) |
| Bobrov et al. (2006, August) +1 other reference |
USA | |
| Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 66 +3 other references |
Represented in many Southern California ... | |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Rocks & Min.: 61: 145. |
| J.Chem.Soc. (1956) +1 other reference |
Erd et al. (1960) | |
Erd et al. (1960) | |
American Mineralogist (1957) +1 other reference | |
Erd et al. (1960) | |
C. Boutry | |
| Erd et al. (1960) |
Dr. John Rakovan specimens. | |
| Mineralogical Record +1 other reference |
| Goldstein (2006) |
| Goldstein (2006) |
| www.njminerals.org (2001) |
| Erd |
Zambia | |
| Brotherton (1979) |
Zimbabwe | |
| Brotherton (1979) |
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Fanny mine, Kruth, Thann-Guebwiller, Haut-Rhin, Grand Est, France