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Pirquitasite Hocartite & Potosíite

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SKY189839

Pirquitasite Hocartite & Potosíite

Rare Mineral
Type Locality

Description Tabs

Description
Locality: 
Oploca Vein, Pirquitas Mine, Rinconada Department, Jujuy, Argentina
Size Range: 
Thumbnail (1-3cm)
Size: 
1.9 × 1 × 1 cm
Description

Pirquitisite is an extremely rare Ag-Zn-Sn sulphide mineral with formula Ag2ZnSnS4. It is only known from 4 localities worldwide. It occurs as bronze aggregates of crystals (photos 1 and 2) associated to very well formed free standing hocartite crystals (photo 4, with formula Ag2(Fe2+,Zn)SnS4 ) and potosiite (photo 3, a variety of franckeite) , so 3 very rare minerals in a single specimen ! For a review of the discovery see: Paar, W. H. (2013): Pirquitasit - erstmals Kristalle aus Argentinien zu sehen. Mineralien-Welt 24 (3), 42-43.

Mineral Data
What's on the rock

Pirquitasite

Formula: 
Ag2ZnSnS4
Strunz: 
2.CB.15a
Hardness: 
4.0
Colour: 
Black
Type Locality: 
Pirquitas Ag-Sn Deposit, Rinconada Department, Jujuy, Argentina

Hocartite

Formula: 
Ag2(Fe2+,Zn)SnS4
Strunz: 
2.CB.15a
Crystal System: 
Tetragonal
Hardness: 
4.0
Type Locality: 
Chocaya mine, Chocaya-Animas (Animas-Chocaya), Atocha-Quechisla District, Sud Chichas Province, Potosí Department, Bolivia

Potosíite

Variety Of: 

Franckeite

Formula: 
Fe2+(Pb,Sn2+)6Sn4+2Sb2S14
Strunz: 
2.HF.25b
Hardness: 
2.5 - 3.0
Formula: 
Pb6Sn3FeSb3S16
Strunz: 
2.HF.25b
Hardness: 
2.5

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