Named
in honor of A. Edenharter, German mineralogist specialized in sulfosalts, edenharterite
was described some years ago (Graeser and Schwander, 1992) from the huge block
fallen into the old quarry (see history of the mine). The mineral is orthorhombic,
black-brown in color and form clusters of multiple parallel elongated crystals
following the c axis . The isolated crystals are up to 0.2 mm, while
the aggregates do not reach 2 mm in diameter.
The phase TlPbAs3S6, synthesized
in the course of hydrothermal experiments by A. Edenharter (1982), was found
as a natural mineral at Lengenbach. It occurs in small
cavities in Triassic dolomite, together with a large number of other As sulphosalt
minerals such as hutchinsonite, hatchite, wallisite, lorandite, and abundant
realgar and orpiment. Edenharterite forms euhedral lathlike crystals, mostly
intergrown to aggregates up to 2-3 mm. Electron microprobe analysis yielded (mean
of 3 analyses) : Tl 25.51, Pb 35.08, Sn 0.06, As 27.09, S 23.17, total 100.91
wt %. The simplified formula is close to TlPbAs3S6.
In thin fragments it is red translucent and has a raspberry-red streak.
Graeser,
S. and H. Schwander (1992):
Edenharterite (TlPbAs3S6).
A new mineral from Lengenbach, Binntal (Switzerland). Eur.
J. Mineral., 4, 1265–1270.
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Very nice group
of twinned edenharterite crystals. |
| Field of view 3 mm. |
| Collection and Photo: Stephan Wolfsried. |
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Photo
Copyright © Stephan
Wolfsried 06/2006
This image is copyrighted. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. |
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Euhedral edenharterite
crystal. |
| Field of view 3 mm. |
| Collection and
Photo: Stephan Wolfsried. |
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Photo
Copyright © Stephan Wolfsried 06/2006
This image is copyrighted. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. |
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Purchased
in Binn, summer 2007. |
| Field of view 3 mm. |
| Collection and
Photo: Joan Rosell. |
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Photo
Copyright © Joan Rosell
This image is copyrighted. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. |
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