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Laforêtite

A valid IMA mineral species
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About LaforêtiteHide

Formula:
AgInS2
Colour:
Brown
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
3
Specific Gravity:
4.93 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Tetragonal
Name:
Named for Claude P. Laforêt (b. 1936), metallographer at the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, who first observed the mineral at the Montgros Mine.

Name EncodingHide

ASCII-7:
Laforetite

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
7149
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:7149:5

IMA Classification of LaforêtiteHide

Approved
IMA Formula:
Ag1+In3+S2-2
Approval year:
1995

Classification of LaforêtiteHide

2.CB.10a

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
B : With Zn, Fe, Cu, Ag, etc.

Mineral SymbolsHide

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

Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.

SymbolSourceReference for Standard
LafIMA–CNMNCWarr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43
LafThe Canadian Mineralogist (2019)The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download

Physical Properties of LaforêtiteHide

Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Brown
Streak:
Chocolate brown
Hardness:
Hardness:
VHN100=183 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Hardness Data:
Estimated
Cleavage:
None Observed
Density:
4.93(1) g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of LaforêtiteHide

Anisotropism:
Strong, brick red with orange tint to bluish-grey purplish
Reflectivity:
WavelengthR1 (%)
480nm26%
540nm24.6%
580nm24.2%
660nm25.8%


Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 26%.
Colour in reflected light:
Brownish grey
Internal Reflections:
strawberry red
Pleochroism:
Weak
Comments:
Brown to clear brown-grey tints

Chemistry of LaforêtiteHide

Mindat Formula:
AgInS2
Element Weights:
Element% weight
In40.032 %
Ag37.609 %
S22.359 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.
Common Impurities:
Cu,Fe,Se

Crystallography of LaforêtiteHide

Crystal System:
Tetragonal
Class (H-M):
42m - Scalenohedral
Space Group:
I42d
Cell Parameters:
a = 5.880(2) Å, c = 11.21(1) Å
Ratio:
a:c = 1 : 1.906
Unit Cell V:
387.57 ų
Z:
4
Twinning:
Polysynthetic lamellar observed in polished sections.

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacingIntensity
3.351 Å(100)
2.942 Å(80)
2.082 Å(75)
2.035 Å(75)
1.768 Å(80)
1.707 Å(35)
1.189 Å(40)
Comments:
From synthetic material because of small size of grains.

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 LaforêtiteHide

General Appearance of Type Material:
tiny < 30 μm anhedral inclusions in galena
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Geological Museum of Lausanne, Switzerland (no. MGL 58600) and fragments of holotype material, with submicroscopic lafortite inclusions, are also deposited at the Galerie de Mineralogie, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
brecciated vein sample from the mine dump
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Synonyms of LaforêtiteHide

Other Language Names for LaforêtiteHide

Relationship of Laforêtite to other SpeciesHide

Other Members of Chalcopyrite Group:
ChalcopyriteCuFeS2Tet. 42m : I42d
EskeborniteCuFeSe2Tet. 42m : P42c
GalliteCuGaS2Tet. 42m : I42d
LenaiteAgFeS2Tet. 42m : I42d
RoquesiteCuInS2Tet. 42m : I42d
ShenzhuangiteNiFeS2Tet. 42m : I42d
'Unnamed (Cu-Mn-Sn Sulphide)'Cu2MnSnS4

Common AssociatesHide

Associations Based on Photo Data:
6 photos of Laforêtite associated with GalenaPbS
2 photos of Laforêtite associated with QuartzSiO2
1 photo of Laforêtite associated with SphaleriteZnS

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

2.CB.RichardsiteZn2CuGaS4Tet. 42m : I42m
2.CB.OkruginiteCu2SnSe3Mon. m : Bb
2.CB.HanswilkeiteKFeS2Mon. 2/m : B2/b
2.CB.AuroselenideAuSeMon. 2/m : B2/m
2.CB.Ruizhongite(Ag2◻)Pb3Ge2S8Iso. 43m : I43d
2.CB.AgmantiniteAg2MnSnS4Orth.
2.CB.TolstykhiteAu3S4Te6Tric. 1 : P1
2.CB.GachingiteAu(Te1-xSex)Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
2.CB.05aHawleyiteCdSIso. 43m : F43m
2.CB.05'UM1998-15-S:CuFeZn'Cu2Fe3Zn5S10
2.CB.05aColoradoiteHgTeIso. 43m : F43m
2.CB.05aMetacinnabarHgSIso. 43m : F43m
2.CB.05aTiemanniteHgSeIso. 43m : F43m
2.CB.05aSphaleriteZnSIso. 43m : F43m
2.CB.05bSakuraiite(Cu,Zn,Fe)3(In,Sn)S4 Iso.
2.CB.05cPolhemusite(Zn,Hg)STet.
2.CB.05aRudashevskyite(Fe,Zn)SIso. 43m : F43m
2.CB.05aStilleiteZnSeIso. 43m : F43m
2.CB.05aIshiharaite(Cu,Ga,Fe,In,Zn)SIso. 43m : F43m
2.CB.07a'Unnamed (Cu-Mn-Sn Sulphide)'Cu2MnSnS4
2.CB.07aShenzhuangiteNiFeS2Tet. 42m : I42d
2.CB.10bTalnakhiteCu9(Fe,Ni)8S16Iso. 43m : I43m
2.CB.10bHaycockiteCu4Fe5S8Orth. 222
2.CB.10aLenaiteAgFeS2Tet. 42m : I42d
2.CB.10aGalliteCuGaS2Tet. 42m : I42d
2.CB.10aRoquesiteCuInS2Tet. 42m : I42d
2.CB.10aEskeborniteCuFeSe2Tet. 42m : P42c
2.CB.10a'UM1984-30-S:CuFeSn'Cu2Fe2Sn3S7
2.CB.10cOmariniiteCu8Fe2ZnGe2S12Orth. 222 : I222
2.CB.10aChalcopyriteCuFeS2Tet. 42m : I42d
2.CB.10a'Unnamed (Cu-Zn-In Sulphide)'CuZn2InS4
2.CB.10bMooihoekiteCu9Fe9S16Tet. 42m : P42m
2.CB.10bPutoraniteCu1.1Fe1.2S2Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Pn3m
2.CB.15aVelikiteCu2HgSnS4Tet. 4 : I4
2.CB.15c'UM2006-11-S:CuFeGeZn'Cu8(Fe,Zn)3Ge2S12 (?)
2.CB.15aHocartiteAg2(Fe2+,Zn)SnS4Tet. 42m : I42m
2.CB.15aKësteriteCu2ZnSnS4Tet. 4 : I4
2.CB.15aPirquitasiteAg2ZnSnS4Tet. 4 : I4
2.CB.15aStanniteCu2FeSnS4Tet. 42m : I42m
2.CB.15cStannoiditeCu+6Cu2+2(Fe2+,Zn)3Sn2S12Orth. 222 : I222
2.CB.15bMohiteCu2SnS3Mon.
2.CB.15aČernýiteCu2CdSnS4Tet. 42m : I42m
2.CB.15aIdaiteCu5FeS6Hex.
2.CB.15aFerrokësteriteCu2FeSnS4Tet. 4 : I4
2.CB.15aKuramiteCu3SnS4Tet. 42m : I42m
2.CB.17a v'Arsenic-bearing Renierite'Cu11GeAsFe4S16
2.CB.20MawsoniteCu6Fe2SnS8Tet. 42m : P4m2
2.CB.20ChatkaliteCu6FeSn2S8Tet. 42m : P4m2
2.CB.30'Frieseite'Ag2Fe5S8 (?)
2.CB.30NekrasoviteCu26V2(Sn,As,Sb)6S32Iso. 43m : P43n
2.CB.30'Argyropyrite'near Ag2Fe7S11
2.CB.30MaikainiteCu20(Fe,Cu)6Mo2Ge6S32Iso. m3m(4/m32/m)
2.CB.30ColusiteCu13VAs3S16Iso. 43m : P43n
2.CB.30GermaniteCu13Fe2Ge2S16Iso. 43m : P43n
2.CB.30GermanocolusiteCu26V2(Ge,As)6S32Iso. 43m : P43m
2.CB.30StibiocolusiteCu13V(Sb,Sn,As)3S16Iso. 43m : P43m
2.CB.30Ovamboite Cu20(Fe,Cu,Zn)6W2Ge6S32Iso. 43m : P43n
2.CB.35aMorozeviczite(Pb,Fe)3Ge1-xS4Iso.
2.CB.35aRenierite(Cu+,Zn)11Fe4(Ge4+,As5+)2S16Tet. 42m : P42c
2.CB.35aHemusiteCu6SnMoS8Iso.
2.CB.35bCatamarcaiteCu6GeWS8Hex. 6mm : P63mc
2.CB.35aVincienniteCu+7Cu2+3Fe2+2Fe3+2Sn(As,Sb)S16Tet.
2.CB.35aKiddcreekiteCu6SnWS8Iso. 43m : F43m
2.CB.35aPolkovicite(Fe,Pb)3(Ge,Fe)1-xS4Iso.
2.CB.40LautiteCuAsSOrth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
2.CB.42LingbaoiteAgTe3Trig. 3m : R3m
2.CB.45CadmoseliteCdSeHex. 6mm : P63mc
2.CB.45RambergiteMnSHex. 6mm : P63mc
2.CB.45Buseckite(Fe,Zn,Mn)SHex. 6mm : P63mc
2.CB.45MaletoyvayamiteAu3Se4Te6Tric. 1 : P1
2.CB.45GreenockiteCdSHex. 6mm : P63mc
2.CB.45Wurtzite(Zn,Fe)SHex. 6mm : P63mc
2.CB.47MurchisiteCr5S6Trig. 3m(32/m) : P31c
2.CB.50'Zincselenide'ZnSe
2.CB.50WassoniteTiSTrig. 3m(32/m) : R3m
2.CB.52'Dzhezkazganite'ReMoCu2PbS6 ?Trig. 3m : R3m
2.CB.55bIsocubaniteCuFe2S3Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fm3m
2.CB.55aCubaniteCuFe2S3Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
2.CB.60RaguiniteTlFeS2Orth.
2.CB.60PicotpauliteTlFe2S3Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Cmcm
2.CB.65ArgentopyriteAgFe2S3Mon. 2/m
2.CB.65SternbergiteAgFe2S3Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
2.CB.70SulvaniteCu3VS4Iso. 43m : P43m
2.CB.75VulcaniteCuTeOrth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
2.CB.80EmpressiteAgTeOrth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
2.CB.85MuthmanniteAuAgTe2Mon. 2/m : P2/m

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 LaforêtiteHide

References for LaforêtiteHide

Localities for LaforêtiteHide

Showing 3 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.
Egypt
 
  • South Sinai Governorate
Sallam et al. (2014)
France (TL)
 
  • Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
    • Haute-Loire
      • Brioude
        • Pinols
Meisser et al. (1999)
Japan
 
  • Hokkaidō Prefecture
    • Ishikari Subprefecture
      • Sapporo City
        • Minami-ku
Ishihara et al. (2011)
 
and/or  
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