Lorandite

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Lorandite
Category Sulfosalt mineral
Chemical formula TlAsS2
Identification
Color red to carmine-red, lead grey
Crystal habit Prismatic tabular striated parallel to [001]
Crystal system Monoclinic prismatic 2/m
Cleavage [100] perfect, [001] distinct
Fracture Conchoidal
Mohs Scale hardness 2.0 - 2.5
Luster Sub metallic - adamantine
Refractive index nα = 2.720
Optical Properties Biaxial (+)
Pleochroism Weak; Y = purple-red; Z = orange-red
Streak Cherry-red
Specific gravity 5.5288 - 5.5362
Diaphaneity Subtransparent
Other Characteristics Tenacity: flexible, forming cleavage lamellae and fibers
References [1][2][3]

Lorandite is a thallium arsenic sulfosalt with formula: TlAsS2. Though rare, it is the most common thallium bearing mineral. Lorandite occurs in low temperature hydrothermal associations. Occurs in gold and mercury ore deposits. Associated minerals include stibnite, realgar, orpiment, cinnabar, vrbaite, greigite, marcasite, pyrite, tetrahedrite, antimonian sphalerite, arsenic and barite.[1]

It was first discovered at Alshar, Republic of Macedonia in 1894 and named after Loránd Eötvös, physicist at the University of Budapest.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/lorandite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy
  2. ^ http://webmineral.com/data/Lorandite.shtml Webmineral
  3. ^ http://www.mindat.org/min-2434.html Mindat
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