Dimorphite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Dimorphite
Formula:
As4S3
Colour:
Orange-yellow
Lustre:
Adamantine
Hardness:
1½
Specific Gravity:
3.58
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
From the Greek for two and form, for the two forms that the mineral supposedly occurs in.
Dimorph of:
This page provides mineralogical data about Dimorphite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
1292
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:1292:4
IMA Classification of Dimorphite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
First published:
1849
Classification of Dimorphite
2.FA.10
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
F : Sulfides of arsenic, alkalies; sulfides with halide, oxide, hydroxide, H2O
A : With As, (Sb), S
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
F : Sulfides of arsenic, alkalies; sulfides with halide, oxide, hydroxide, H2O
A : With As, (Sb), S
2.6.1.1
2 : SULFIDES
6 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 4:3
2 : SULFIDES
6 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 4:3
3.7.3
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
7 : Sulphides etc. of V, As, Sb and Bi
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
7 : Sulphides etc. of V, As, Sb and Bi
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Dim | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Dimorphite
Adamantine
Transparency:
Transparent
Colour:
Orange-yellow
Streak:
Yellow
Hardness:
1½ on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
None Observed
Density:
3.58 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.60 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Dimorphite
Type:
Biaxial (+)
Dispersion:
strong
Chemistry of Dimorphite
Mindat Formula:
As4S3
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Dimorphite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm(2/m2/m2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group:
Pnma
Setting:
Pnma
Cell Parameters:
a = 11.24 Å, b = 9.90 Å, c = 6.56 Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 1.135 : 1 : 0.663
Unit Cell V:
729.97 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Dipyramidal crystals.
Crystal Structure
Load
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0014106 | Dimorphite | Whitfield H J (1973) Crystal structure of the beta-form of tetraarsenic trisulphide Journal of the Chemical Society, Dalton Transactions, Inorganic Chemistry 1973 1737-1738 | 1973 | synthetic | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 4.89 Å | (100) |
| 2.14 Å | (50) |
| 1.620 Å | (50) |
| 3.91 Å | (40) |
| 5.64 Å | (30) |
| 3.07 Å | (25) |
| 2.94 Å | (25) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 3a: Earth’s earliest Hadean crust | >4.50 |
| 11 : Volcanic fumarole minerals; reduced phases (see also #45) | |
| Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event | <2.4 |
| 47h : [Near-surface oxidized, dehydrated minerals] |
Geological Setting:
Secondary zone of ore deposits.
Type Occurrence of Dimorphite
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Natural History Museum, Paris, France, 50.588, 99.492.
The Natural History Museum, London, England, 1937,1432.
The Natural History Museum, London, England, 1937,1432.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Fumarolic vent
Synonyms of Dimorphite
Other Language Names for Dimorphite
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 6 photos of Dimorphite associated with Realgar | As4S4 |
| 1 photo of Dimorphite associated with Bonazziite | As4S4 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 2.FA. | Bonazziite | As4S4 |
| 2.FA. | Anorpiment | As2S3 |
| 2.FA. | Paradimorphite | As4S3 |
| 2.FA.05 | Duranusite | As4S |
| 2.FA.15b | Pararealgar | As4S4 |
| 2.FA.15a | Realgar | As4S4 |
| 2.FA.15d | 'UM1970-18-S:As' | As4S4 |
| 2.FA.20 | Alacránite | As8S9 |
| 2.FA.25 | Uzonite | As4S5 |
| 2.FA.30 | Laphamite | As2Se3 |
| 2.FA.30 | Orpiment | As2S3 |
| 2.FA.35 | Getchellite | AsSbS3 |
| 2.FA.40 | Wakabayashilite | [(As,Sb)6S9][As4S5] |
| 2.FA.40 | Kalgoorlieite | As2Te3 |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Dimorphite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-1292.html
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References for Dimorphite
Reference List:
Clark, Alan H. (1972) Mineralogy of the Alacrán deposit, Pampa Larga, Chile V. Dimorphite of supergene origin. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie - Monatshefte, 1972 (9). 423-429 doi:10.1127/njmm/1972/1972/423
Frankel, Leah S.; Zoltai, Tibor (1973) Crystallography of dimorphites. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, 138 (1-4). 161-166 doi:10.1524/zkri.1973.138.1-4.161
Localities for Dimorphite
Showing 9 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Chile | |
| Mineralogical Society of America - ... +1 other reference |
Greece | |
| Schnorrer (1995) +1 other reference |
Italy | |
| Campostrini et al. (2012) |
| Scacchi (1852) |
| Russo et al. (2017) | |
| Campostrini et al. (2012) +1 other reference | |
Peru | |
| |
Russia | |
| Stepanov S. Yu. et al. (2017) +1 other reference |
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Solfatara di Pozzuoli, Pozzuoli, Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, Italy