Cuprostibite
| Cuprostibite | |
|---|---|
Cuprostibite (South Greenland) | |
| General | |
| Category | Antimonide mineral |
| Formula | Cu2(Sb,Tl) |
| IMA symbol | Cusb |
| Strunz classification | 2.AA.20 |
| Crystal system | Tetragonal |
| Crystal class | Antimonide |
| Identification | |
| Color | violet pink to steel gray; red-violet tint on fresh fracture |
| Crystal habit | fine grained aggregates |
| Twinning | platy |
| Cleavage | perfect to average |
| Fracture | irregular to uneven |
| Mohs scale hardness | 4 |
| Luster | metallic |
| Diaphaneity | opaque |
| Density | 8.42 (calculated) |
| Pleochroism | visible; creamy white to dark rose-violet |
Cuprostibite (the name is formed from the addition of two words: cuprum and stibium) — a very rare polymetallic mineral of the sulfide class, consisting of mixed copper and thallium stibnite (although not in all samples), sometimes with admixtures of tin and other metals, ideal formula Cu2(Sb,Tl) or Cu2Sb. The mineral is opaque, it has a metallic luster and a beautiful color from steel gray to violet-pink when freshly chipped.
Cuprostibite was discovered in South Greenland (1964) and described in 1969 by a group of scientists, which included Evgeny Semyonov, Henning Sorensen, Marianna Bezsmertnaya and Evgenia Khalezova.