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Litochlebite

A valid IMA mineral species
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01525320017272471857410.jpg
Litochlebite, etc.

Zálesí uranium deposit, Zálesí, Javorník, Jeseník District, Olomouc Region, Czech Republic
01525320017272471857410.jpg
Litochlebite, etc.

Zálesí uranium deposit, Zálesí, Javorník, Jeseník District, Olomouc Region, Czech Republic
01525320017272471857410.jpg
Litochlebite, etc.

Zálesí uranium deposit, Zálesí, Javorník, Jeseník District, Olomouc Region, Czech Republic
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About LitochlebiteHide

01934650017272471863669.jpg
Jiří Litochleb
Formula:
Ag2PbBi4Se8
Colour:
Dark grey to black
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
3
Specific Gravity:
7.90 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Name:
Honors the Czech mineralogist Dr. Jiří Litochleb (1948 - 2014), former head of the Department of Mineralogy and Petrology and director of the Natural History Museum, National Museum, Praha, Czech Republic. Dr. Litochleb was the author of numerous papers on uranium, base metal, and gold ore deposits and on the mineralogy of Bi sulfo-seleno-tellurides, selenides, and sulfosalts from the Czech Republic.
Ag-analog of watkinsonite. Closely related to luxembourgite.

Structurally related to berryite.


Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
39637
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:39637:4

IMA Classification of LitochlebiteHide

Classification of LitochlebiteHide

Strunz-mindat (2026):
2.HB.20e

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
H : Sulfosalts of SnS archetype
B : With Cu, Ag, Fe, Sn and Pb
Dana 8th ed.:
3.7.21.2

3 : SULFOSALTS
7 : ø = 2

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

SymbolSourceReference for Standard
LtoIMA–CNMNCWarr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Physical Properties of LitochlebiteHide

Lustre:
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Dark grey to black
Streak:
Dark grey
Hardness:
3 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN10=230 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
None Observed
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven
Density:
7.90 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of LitochlebiteHide

Anisotropism:
Anisotropy is moderate both in air and in oil
Bireflectance:
Weak only in oil
Reflectivity:
WavelengthR1 (%)R2 (%)
400nm41.5%48.9%
420nm43.0%49.1%
440nm44.4%49.7%
460nm44.1%49.3%
470nm44.5%49.9%
480nm44.8%50.2%
500nm45.1%49.9%
520nm44.8%50.1%
540nm44.9%50.4%
546nm45.1%50.5%
560nm45.2%50.9%
580nm45.6%51.2%
589nm45.6%51.3%
600nm45.4%51.4%
620nm45.4%51.7%
640nm45.1%51.7%
650nm45.4%51.8%
660nm45.4%51.9%
680nm45.2%51.6%
700nm44.9%51.8%


Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 51.9%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Colour in reflected light:
White
Internal Reflections:
None
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
White with a very faint yellowish tint (darkest position) to white with a very faint bluish tint (lightest position)

Chemistry of LitochlebiteHide

Mindat Formula:
Ag2PbBi4Se8
Element Weights:
Element% weight
Bi44.216 %
Se33.413 %
Ag11.411 %
Pb10.960 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.
Elements listed:
Ag, Bi, Pb, Se - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of LitochlebiteHide

Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
P21/m
Cell Parameters:
a = 13.182(2) Å, b = 4.140(8) Å, c = 15.299(2) Å
β = 109.11(1)°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 3.184 : 1 : 3.695
Unit Cell V:
788.91 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2

Crystal StructureHide

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IDSpeciesReferenceLinkYearLocalityPressure (GPa)Temp (K)
0018384LitochlebiteSejkora J, Makovicky E, Topa D, Putz H, Zagler G, Pasil J (2011) Litochlebite, Ag2PbBi4Se8, a new selenide mineral species from Zalesi, Czech Republic: description and crystal structure The Canadian Mineralogist 49 639-6502011Zalesi uranium deposit, northern Moravia, Czech Republic0293
CIF Raw Data - click here to close

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic ModeEarliest Age (Ga)
High-? alteration and/or metamorphism
33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12])

Type Occurrence of LitochlebiteHide

Type Locality:
ⓘ Zálesí uranium deposit, Zálesí, Javorník, Jeseník District, Olomouc Region, Czech Republic
General Appearance of Type Material:
Irregular grains up to 200μm, forming aggregates up to 1–2 mm in size in a quartz gangue.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic (catalogue number P1P 11/2009).
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Uranium veins of the five-element class (U-Ni-Co-As-Ag).
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
HematiteQuartzUraniniteUranophane
Reference:
Sejkora, J., Makovicky, E., Topa, D., Putz, H., Zagler, G., Plasil, J. (2011) Litochlebite, Ag2PbBi4Se8, a new selenide mineral species from Zálesí, Czech Republic: description and crystal structure. The Canadian Mineralogist, 49 (2) 639-650 doi:10.3749/canmin.49.2.639

Synonyms of LitochlebiteHide

Other Language Names for LitochlebiteHide

Common AssociatesHide

Associations Based on Photo Data:
1 photo of Litochlebite associated with QuartzSiO2

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

2.HB.BarikaiteAg3Pb10(Sb8As11)S40Mon. 2/m : P21/b
2.HB.Carducciite(Ag2Sb2)Pb12(As,Sb)16S40Mon. 2/m : P21/b
2.HB.SardashtiteAg9Cu2.5Pb41Sb36.5As7S112Mon. 2/m
2.HB.InterliveingiteAgPb18As25S56Mon. 2 : P21
2.HB.ReckibachiteAg2Pb12As14Sb4S40Mon. 2/m : P21/b
2.HB.05aSalzburgiteCu1.6Pb1.6Bi6.4S12Orth. mm2 : Pmc21
2.HB.05aHammariteCu2Pb2Bi4S9Orth.
2.HB.05cJaskólskiiteCuxPb2+x(Sb,Bi)2-xS5 (x ~ 0.15)Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
2.HB.05'UM1990-54-Se:BiCuPb'CuPb(Ni,Co)0.3Bi3Se6
2.HB.05aAikiniteCuPbBiS3Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
2.HB.05aPekoiteCuPbBi11S18Orth. mm2
2.HB.05aFriedrichiteCu5Pb5Bi7S18Orth. mm2
2.HB.05bMeneghinitePb13CuSb7S24Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
2.HB.05aPaariteCu1.7Pb1.7Bi6.3S12Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pbcn
2.HB.05aLindströmiteCu3Pb3Bi7S15Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
2.HB.05aEmiliteCu10.7Pb10.7Bi21.3S48Orth. mm2 : Pmc21
2.HB.05aGladiteCuPbBi5S9Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
2.HB.05aKrupkaiteCuPbBi3S6Orth. mm2
2.HB.05'UM2000-46-S:BiCuPb'Cu0.33Pb0.33Bi7.67S12
2.HB.10bIzoklakeitePb27(Cu,Fe,Ag)2(Sb,Bi)19S57Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnnm
2.HB.10cEclarite(Cu,Fe)Pb9Bi12S28Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
2.HB.10aTintinaitePb22Cu4(Sb,Bi)30S69Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnnm
2.HB.10bGiessenitePb27Cu2(Bi,Sb)19S57Mon. 2/m
2.HB.10aKobellitePb22Cu4(Bi,Sb)30S69Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnnm
2.HB.15JamesonitePb4FeSb6S14Mon. 2/m : P21/b
2.HB.15BenavidesitePb4MnSb6S14Mon. 2/m : P21/b
2.HB.20aNagyágite[Pb3(Pb,Sb)3S6](Au,Te)3Mon. 2/m : P21/m
2.HB.20bBuckhorniteAuPb2BiTe2S3Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pmmm
2.HB.20eLuxembourgiteAgCuPbBi4Se8Mon. 2/m : P21/m
2.HB.20bJaszczakite[Bi3S3][AuS2]Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pmmn
2.HB.20dBerryiteCu3Ag2Pb3Bi7S16Mon. 2/m : P21/m
2.HB.20eWatkinsoniteCu2PbBi4(Se,S,Te)8Mon. 2/m : P21/m
2.HB.20cMuseumite[Pb2(Pb,Sb)2S8][(Te,Au)2]Mon. 2
2.HB.25Meerschautite(Ag,Cu)6Pb43-2xSb44+2xS112Ox (x ~0.5)Mon. 2 : P21

Fluorescence of LitochlebiteHide

Other InformationHide

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 LitochlebiteHide

References for LitochlebiteHide

Localities for LitochlebiteHide

Showing 2 localities.

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.
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Locality ListHide

- 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). Struck out - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Brazil
 
  • Pará
    • Curionópolis
Berni et al. (2014) +1 other reference
Czech Republic (TL)
 
  • Olomouc Region
    • Jeseník District
      • Javorník
        • Zálesí
Sejkora et al. (2011)
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