Playfairite
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Playfairite
John Playfair
Formula:
Pb16(Sb,As)19S44Cl
Originally assumed to be Pb16Sb18S43.
Colour:
Lead gray to black
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
3½ - 4
Specific Gravity:
5.72 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Name:
Named in 1967 by John Leslie Jambor in honor of John Playfair [March 10, 1748 Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom - July 20, 1819 Burntisland, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom] mathematician, physicist, and geologist, Professor of Mathematics and Natural History (1785-1819), University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He is known for his pioneering work on geomorphology, but is best known for his explanation of James Hutton's Theory of the Earth.
This page provides mineralogical data about Playfairite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3239
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3239:7
IMA Classification of Playfairite
Approved
IMA Formula:
Pb2+16(Sb3+,As3+)19S2-44Cl
Approval year:
1966
Classification of Playfairite
2.LB.30
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
L : Unclassified Sulfosalts
B : With essential Pb
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
L : Unclassified Sulfosalts
B : With essential Pb
3.6.4.1
3 : SULFOSALTS
6 : 2 < ø < 2.49
3 : SULFOSALTS
6 : 2 < ø < 2.49
5.6.12
5 : Sulphosalts - Sulpharsenites and Sulphobismuthites (those containing Sn, Ge,or V are in Section 6)
6 : Sulpharsenites etc. of Pb alone
5 : Sulphosalts - Sulpharsenites and Sulphobismuthites (those containing Sn, Ge,or V are in Section 6)
6 : Sulpharsenites etc. of Pb alone
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pyf | 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 Playfairite
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Lead gray to black
Streak:
Black
Hardness:
3½ - 4 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN50=154 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Cleavage:
Perfect
on {100}
on {100}
Density:
5.72 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Chemistry of Playfairite
Mindat Formula:
Pb16(Sb,As)19S44Cl
Originally assumed to be Pb16Sb18S43.
Originally assumed to be Pb16Sb18S43.
Element Weights:
Common Impurities:
As
Crystallography of Playfairite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Cell Parameters:
a = 45.12 Å, b = 8.29 Å, c = 21.45 Å
β = 92.53°
β = 92.53°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 5.443 : 1 : 2.587
Unit Cell V:
8,015.44 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Tabular crystals
Twinning:
Very fine twin lamellae
Comment:
Point Group: 2, m, or 2/m; Space Group: P2, Pm, P2/m, P21 or P21/m
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 3.39 Å | (100) |
| 3.32 Å | (100) |
| 2.785 Å | (70) |
| 2.086 Å | (60) |
| 3.98 Å | (40) |
| 3.49 Å | (40) |
| 2.97 Å | (40) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| High-? alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12]) |
Geological Setting:
Dolomitic and calcitic marbles. Coating sulfosalt minerals.
Type Occurrence of Playfairite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Tabular crystals
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Canadian Geological Survey, Ottawa, 12168; Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Playfairite
Other Language Names for Playfairite
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 2.LB. | Ciriottiite | Cu(Cu,Ag)3Pb19(Sb,As)22(As2)S56 |
| 2.LB. | Hayyanite | Cu5Ag11Pb76Sb71As17(As2+)8S224 |
| 2.LB. | Wenqingite | Pb5(AsS3)2(Ge2S6) |
| 2.LB.05 | Miharaite | Cu4FePbBiS6 |
| 2.LB.30 | Launayite | Cu2Pb20(Sb,As)26S60 |
| 2.LB.30 | Ardaite | Pb19Sb13S35Cl7 |
| 2.LB.30 | Sorbyite | CuPb9(Sb,As)11S26 |
| 2.LB.30 | Sterryite | Cu(Ag,Cu)3Pb19(Sb,As)22(As2)S56 |
| 2.LB.30 | Madocite | Pb19(Sb,As)16S43 |
| 2.LB.35 | Larosite | (Cu,Ag)21PbBiS13 |
| 2.LB.40 | Mazzettiite | Ag3HgPbSbTe5 |
| 2.LB.40 | Petrovicite | Cu3HgPbBiSe5 |
| 2.LB.45 | Crerarite | Pt2-x(Bi,Pb)11(S,Se)11 |
| 2.LB.50 | Quijarroite | Cu6HgPb2Bi4Se12 |
| 2.LB.55 | Znamenskyite | Pb4In2Bi4S13 |
Fluorescence of Playfairite
Not fluorescent in UV
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 Playfairite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3239.html
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Please feel free to link to this page.
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External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
References for Playfairite
Reference List:
Jambor, John Leslie (1967) New lead sulfantimonides from Madoc, Ontario. Part 1. The Canadian Mineralogist, 9 (1) 7-24
Jambor, John Leslie (1967) New lead sulfantimonides from Madoc, Ontario. Part 2 - mineral descriptions. The Canadian Mineralogist, 9 (2) 191-213
Jambor, John Leslie (1968) New lead sulfantimonides from Madoc, Ontario. Part 3--Syntheses, paragenesis, origin. The Canadian Mineralogist, 9 (4). 505-521
Localities for Playfairite
Showing 4 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.
Canada (TL) | |
| Jambor (1967) +3 other references |
France | |
| Y. Moëlo et al. (1987) |
Kyrgyzstan | |
| Anthony et al. (1990) |
USA | |
| Castor et al. (2004) |
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Reese River Mining District, Lander County, Nevada, USA