Zvěstovite-(Zn), Ag<sub>6</sub>(Ag<sub>4</sub>Zn<sub>2</sub>)As<sub>4</sub>S<sub>13</sub>, a new tetrahedrite-group mineral from Zvěstov, Czech Republic
Jiří Sejkora, Cristian Biagioni, Luboš Vrtiška, Yves Moëlo
Abstract
Abstract The new mineral, zvěstovite-(Zn), ideally Ag 6 (Ag 4 Zn 2 )As 4 S 13 , was found in quartz–baryte gangue at the mine dump of the abandoned small deposit of Zvěstov, central Bohemia, Czech Republic. Zvěstovite-(Zn) is associated with tennantite-(Zn), tetrahedrite-(Zn), argentotennantite-(Zn), acanthite and supergene azurite and malachite. The new mineral occurs as rare relic anhedral grains rimmed by acanthite, up to 100 μm in size. Zvěstovite-(Zn) is grey, Mohs hardness is ca . 3½–4, in agreement with other members of the tetrahedrite group; the calculated density is 5.16 g.cm –3 . In reflected light, zvěstovite-(Zn) is grey with a greenish tint, without bireflectance, pleochroism or anisotropy. Deep red internal reflections are ubiquitous. Reflectance values of zvěstovite-(Zn) in air ( R %) are: 28.5 at 470 nm, 26.9 at 546 nm, 25.5 at 589 nm and 23.8 at 650 nm. The empirical formula for zvěstovite-(Zn), based on electron-microprobe analyses ( n = 4), is Ag 6.27 [(Ag 3.90 Cu 0.38 ) Σ4.28 (Zn 1.60 Fe 0.09 Cd 0.03 ) Σ1.72 ] Σ6.00 (As 2.26 Sb 1.48 ) Σ3.74 S 12.50 . The ideal formula is Ag 6 (Ag 4 Zn 2 )As 4 S 13 , which requires (in wt.%) Ag 56.01, Zn 6.79, As 15.56 and S 21.64, total 100.00. Zvěstovite-(Zn) is cubic, I $\bar{4}$ 3 m , with unit-cell parameters: a = 10.850(2) Å, V = 1277.3(8) Å 3 and Z = 2. The strongest reflections of the calculated powder X-ray diffraction pattern [ d , Å (I) ( hkl )] are: 3.1321(100) (222), 2.7125(21) (400), 1.9809(11) (521), 1.9180(31) (440) and 1.6357(15) (622). According to the single-crystal X-ray diffraction data ( R obs = 0.051), the crystal structure of zvěstovite-(Zn) agrees with the general features of the members of the tetrahedrite group. Zvěstovite-(Zn) is named after its type locality, Zvěstov; the suffix indicates the dominant divalent C-constituent, according to the approved nomenclature of the tetrahedrite group. It is the As-isotype of rozhdestvenskayaite-(Zn). The mineral and its name have been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA2020-061).