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Spryite

A valid IMA mineral species - pending publication
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00389540017272006916541.jpg
Spryite

Uchucchacua Mine, Uchucchacua area, Oyón District, Oyón Province, Lima, Peru
08915990017552187727226.jpg
Spryite

Uchucchacua Mine, Uchucchacua area, Oyón District, Oyón Province, Lima, Peru
07751150017272472649151.jpg
Spryite, etc.

Uchucchacua Mine, Uchucchacua area, Oyón District, Oyón Province, Lima, Peru
00389540017272006916541.jpg
Spryite

Uchucchacua Mine, Uchucchacua area, Oyón District, Oyón Province, Lima, Peru
08915990017552187727226.jpg
Spryite

Uchucchacua Mine, Uchucchacua area, Oyón District, Oyón Province, Lima, Peru
07751150017272472649151.jpg
Spryite, etc.

Uchucchacua Mine, Uchucchacua area, Oyón District, Oyón Province, Lima, Peru
00389540017272006916541.jpg
Spryite

Uchucchacua Mine, Uchucchacua area, Oyón District, Oyón Province, Lima, Peru
08915990017552187727226.jpg
Spryite

Uchucchacua Mine, Uchucchacua area, Oyón District, Oyón Province, Lima, Peru
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About SpryiteHide

04947660017272472656383.jpg
Paul Spry
Formula:
Ag8(As3+0.5As5+0.5)S6
Colour:
Black
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
2½ - 3
Specific Gravity:
6.334 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
Named in honor of Paul Spry (b. 1955, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia), Professor in the Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University. He is an expert on metallic mineral deposits, especially those of precious metals.
The As analogue of argyrodite and canfieldite. Interesting (possibly unique) in being a sulphosalt with two valencies of As.

Reported as the "first As3+-bearing natural argyrodite".


Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
47607
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:47607:8

IMA Classification of SpryiteHide

Classification of SpryiteHide

Strunz-mindat (2026):
2.BA.35

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
B : Metal Sulfides, M: S > 1: 1 (mainly 2: 1)
A : With Cu, Ag, Au

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

Physical Properties of SpryiteHide

Lustre:
Metallic
Colour:
Black
Streak:
Black
Hardness:
2½ - 3 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN20=55 - 70 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Density:
6.334 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Chemistry of SpryiteHide

Mindat Formula:
Ag8(As3+0.5As5+0.5)S6
Element Weights:
Element% weight
Ag76.350 %
S17.022 %
As6.629 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.
Elements listed:
Ag, As, S - search for minerals with similar chemistry
Common Impurities:
Ge

Crystallography of SpryiteHide

Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mm2 - Pyramidal
Space Group:
Pna21
Cell Parameters:
a = 14.984(4) Å, b = 7.474(1) Å, c = 10.571(2) Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 2.005 : 1 : 1.414
Unit Cell V:
1083.9 ų
Z:
4
Twinning:
intimately twinned; has 6 twin domains

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 SpryiteHide

Type Locality:
ⓘ Uchucchacua Mine, Uchucchacua area, Oyón District, Oyón Province, Lima, Peru
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
mineralogical collections of the Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Firenze, Via La Pira 4, Florence, Italy (catalogue number 3213/I)
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Silver and manganese-rich zone of a polymetallic deposit
Reference:
Bindi, Luca, Keutsch, Frank N., Morana, Marta, Zaccarini, Federica (2017) Spryite, Ag8As3+0.5As5+0.5S6: structure determination and inferred absence of superionic conduction of the first As3+-bearing argyrodite. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 44 (1) 75-82 doi:10.1007/s00269-016-0838-1

Synonyms of SpryiteHide

Other Language Names for SpryiteHide

Dutch:Spryiet
German:Spryit

Relationship of Spryite to other SpeciesHide

Member of:
Argyrodite Group
Other Members of Argyrodite Group:
AlburniteAg8GeTe2S4Iso.
ArgyroditeAg8GeS6Orth. mm2 : Pna21
CanfielditeAg8SnS6Orth. mm2 : Pna21
Putzite(Cu4.7Ag3.3)GeS6Iso. 43m : F43m

Common AssociatesHide

Associations Based on Photo Data:
2 photos of Spryite associated with Pearceite[Ag6As2S7][Ag9CuS4]

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

2.BA.MakotoiteAg12(Cu3Au)S8Trig. 3m(32/m) : R3c
2.BA.AlburniteAg8GeTe2S4Iso.
2.BA.DzierżanowskiteCaCu2S2Trig. 3m(32/m) : P3m1
2.BA.XuwenyuaniteAg9Fe3+Te2S4Iso. 43m : F43m
2.BA.'Orileyite'(Fe,Cu)2As
2.BA.JuxingiteBi6Cu+138Cu2+2Fe3+30S125Iso. 43m : F43m
2.BA.05DjurleiteCu31S16Mon. 2/m
2.BA.05GeeriteCu8S5Trig. 3
2.BA.05RoxbyiteCu58S32Tric. 1 : P1
2.BA.05ChalcociteCu2SMon. 2/m : P21/b
2.BA.10DigeniteCu9S5Trig. 3m(32/m) : R3m
2.BA.10AniliteCu7S4Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
2.BA.15BorniteCu5FeS4Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pbca
2.BA.20BellidoiteCu2SeTet. 4/m : P42/n
2.BA.20BerzelianiteCu2-xSe (x ≈ 0.12)Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fm3m
2.BA.25AthabascaiteCu5Se4Orth.
2.BA.25UmangiteCu3Se2Tet. 42m : P421m
2.BA.30RickarditeCu7Te5Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pmmn
2.BA.30WeissiteCu2-xTeHex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mmm
2.BA.35AcanthiteAg2SMon. 2/m : P21/m
2.BA.40d'UM2003-13-S:AgAuCu'Ag6AuCu2S5
2.BA.40MckinstryiteAg5-xCu3+xS4Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
2.BA.40StromeyeriteAgCuSOrth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
2.BA.42HoneaiteAu3TlTe2 Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pbcm
2.BA.45JalpaiteAg3CuS2Tet. 4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) : I41/amd
2.BA.45SelenojalpaiteAg3CuSe2Tet. 4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) : I41/amd
2.BA.45KuriliteAg8Te3SeTrig. 3 : R3
2.BA.47Spiridonovite(Cu1-xAgx)2TeTrig. 3m(32/m) : P3c1
2.BA.50WuyanzhiiteCu2STet. 422 : P43212
2.BA.50EucairiteAgCuSeOrth.
2.BA.52'Argentite'Ag2SIso.
2.BA.55NaumanniteAg2SeOrth. 222 : P212121
2.BA.55AguilariteAg4SeSMon. 2/m
2.BA.60ChenguodaiteAg9Fe3+Te2S4Orth.
2.BA.60HessiteAg2TeMon. 2/m : P21/b
2.BA.60CervelleiteAg4TeSMon. 2/m
2.BA.65Henryite(Cu,Ag)3+xTe2 , with x ~ 0.40Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3c
2.BA.65StütziteAg5-xTe3, x = 0.24-0.36Hex. 6 : P6
2.BA.70ArgyroditeAg8GeS6Orth. mm2 : Pna21
2.BA.70Putzite(Cu4.7Ag3.3)GeS6Iso. 43m : F43m
2.BA.70CanfielditeAg8SnS6Orth. mm2 : Pna21
2.BA.75FischesseriteAg3AuSe2Iso. 432 : I4132
2.BA.75UytenbogaardtiteAg3AuS2Trig. 3m(32/m) : R3c
2.BA.75Penzhinite(Ag,Cu)4Au(S,Se)4Hex. 622 : P6322
2.BA.75PetrovskaiteAuAgSMon.
2.BA.75PetziteAg3AuTe2Iso. 432 : I4132
2.BA.80Bezsmertnovite(Au,Ag)4Cu(Te,Pb)Orth.
2.BA.80BilibinskitePbCu2Au3Te2Iso.
2.BA.80Bogdanovite(Au,Te,Pb)3(Cu,Fe)Iso.

Fluorescence of SpryiteHide

In UV light:
Not fluorescent

Other InformationHide

Notes:
no evidence of fast ionic conduction is known
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 SpryiteHide

References for SpryiteHide

Localities for SpryiteHide

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.
Peru (TL)
 
  • Lima
    • Oyón Province
      • Oyón District
        • Uchucchacua area
Hålenius et al. (2016)
Russia
 
  • Kamchatka Krai
    • Yelizovsky District
Tolstykh et al. (2022)
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