Original paper

Arsenmarcobaldiite, Pb12(As3.2Sb2.8)Σ=6S21, a new N = 3.5 jordanite homologue from the Sant’Anna tectonic window, Apuan Alps (Tuscany, Italy)

Biagioni, Cristian; Moëlo, Yves; Merlino, Stefano; Pasero, Marco; Paar, Werner H.; Vezzoni, Simone; Zaccarini, Federica

European Journal of Mineralogy Volume 31 Number 5-6 (2019), p. 1067 - 1077

19 references

published: Dec 20, 2019
published online: Sep 16, 2019
manuscript accepted: Jul 25, 2019
manuscript revision received: Jul 15, 2019
manuscript received: Mar 29, 2019

DOI: 10.1127/ejm/2019/0031-2888

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Abstract

The new mineral species arsenmarcobaldiite, Pb12(As3.2Sb2.8)Σ=6S21, occurs as black anhedral grains, up to 0.5 mm in size, with metallic lustre, associated with pyrite and minor sphalerite, within layers of granoblastic quartz and accessory baryte embedded in pyrite-rich schist from a small baryte + pyrite prospect at Verzalla, Stazzema, Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy. Under the ore microscope, arsenmarcobaldiite is white. It is weakly pleochroic in shades of grey. Anisotropy is distinct, both in air and oil, with rotation tints from brownish to bluish-grey. Reflectance percentages for the four COM wavelengths are [R min, R max (%) (λ)]: 32.8, 38.3 (470 nm); 32.2, 37.5 (546 nm); 31.7, 36.9 (589 nm); 31.4, 36.6 (650 nm). Polysynthetic twinning is common and characteristic. Electron microprobe analysis gave (in wt% – average of 19 spot analyses): Ag 0.20(1), Pb 66.34(38), As 6.36(10), Sb 8.93(9), Bi 0.30(5), S 18.00(14), total 100.13(48). On the basis of ΣMe = 18 atoms per formula unit, the chemical formula is Ag0.07(1)Pb11.96(5)(As3.17(4)Sb2.74(3)Bi0.05(1))Σ5.96S20.97(17), ideally Pb12(As3.2Sb2.8)Σ=6S21. The main diffraction lines, corresponding to multiple hkl indices, are [d in Å (relative visual intensity)]: 3.595 (m), 3.429 (m), 3.214 (ms), 3.027 (ms), 2.233 (s), 2.125 (ms), 1.839 (ms). The X-ray diffraction study gave a triclinic unit cell, space group P 1 ¯ , with a = 8.9736(9), b = 29.334(3), c = 8.4925(10) Å, α = 98.369(6), β = 118.705(6), γ = 90.874(6)°, V = 1930.5(4) Å3, Z = 2. The crystal structure was solved and refined to R 1 = 0.063 on the basis of 6325 reflections with F o > 4σ(F o) and 364 refined parameters. Arsenmarcobaldiite is a new N = 3.5 homologue belonging to the jordanite homologous series and it is the As-dominant isotype of marcobaldiite.

Keywords

arsenmarcobaldiitejordanite homologous seriesnew mineral speciesleadarsenicantimonycrystal structuresulfosaltApuan Alps