Calaverite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
This page kindly sponsored by Carl (Bob) Carnein
About Calaverite
Formula:
AuTe2
Colour:
Brass yellow to silver white
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
2½ - 3
Specific Gravity:
9.1 - 9.4
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Name:
Named in 1868 by Fredrick Augustus Genth for the type locality at the Stanislaus Mine, in Calaveras County, California, USA.
Closely related to krennerite.
Calaverite has no cleavage. The perfect cleavage on krennerite is parallel to {001}. Sylvanite has a cleavage parallel to {010} along the length of the crystal.
Calaverite has no cleavage. The perfect cleavage on krennerite is parallel to {001}. Sylvanite has a cleavage parallel to {010} along the length of the crystal.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
852
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:852:1
Similar Names
| Calavorite | A rock subtype |
IMA Classification of Calaverite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
First published:
1868
Classification of Calaverite
2.EA.10
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
E : Metal Sulfides, M: S <= 1:2
A : M:S = 1:2 - With Cu, Ag, Au
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
E : Metal Sulfides, M: S <= 1:2
A : M:S = 1:2 - With Cu, Ag, Au
2.12.13.2
2 : SULFIDES
12 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:2
2 : SULFIDES
12 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:2
3.3.1
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
3 : Sulphides etc. of Au
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
3 : Sulphides etc. of Au
Mineral Symbols
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.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Clv | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
| Clv | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download |
Pronunciation of Calaverite
Pronunciation:
| Play | Recorded by | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Jolyon Ralph | United Kingdom |
Physical Properties of Calaverite
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Brass yellow to silver white
Streak:
Greenish to yellowish gray
Hardness:
2½ - 3 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=197 - 213 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Tenacity:
Brittle
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven, Sub-Conchoidal
Density:
9.1 - 9.4 g/cm3 (Measured) 9.31 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Calaverite
Anisotropism:
Weak
Reflectivity:
| Wavelength | R1 (%) | R2 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 400nm | 45.7% | 54.4% |
| 420nm | 48.4% | 57.1% |
| 440nm | 51.1% | 59.6% |
| 460nm | 53.6% | 61.8% |
| 480nm | 56.0% | 63.6% |
| 500nm | 57.9% | 65.2% |
| 520nm | 59.4% | 66.4% |
| 540nm | 60.6% | 67.3% |
| 560nm | 61.3% | 68.0% |
| 580nm | 61.8% | 68.3% |
| 600nm | 62.2% | 68.4% |
| 620nm | 62.5% | 68.6% |
| 640nm | 62.7% | 68.5% |
| 660nm | 62.8% | 68.4% |
| 680nm | 62.9% | 68.2% |
| 700nm | 63.0% | 68.1% |
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 68.6%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Colour in reflected light:
White
Pleochroism:
Weak
Chemistry of Calaverite
Mindat Formula:
AuTe2
Element Weights:
| Element | % weight |
|---|---|
| Te | 56.439 % |
Calculated from ideal end-member formula.
Elements listed:
Common Impurities:
Ag
Chemical Analysis
wt%
| 1 | |
|---|---|
| Au | 43.2 % |
| Ag | 1.5 % |
| Te | 56 % |
| Total: | 100.7 % |
Sample references:
| ID | Locality | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robb-Montbray Mine, Rouyn-Noranda TE, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Québec, Canada | EMPA of grain associated with montbrayite |
Crystallography of Calaverite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Cell Parameters:
a = 7.19 Å, b = 4.4 Å, c = 5.08 Å
β = 90.3°
β = 90.3°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 1.634 : 1 : 1.155
Unit Cell V:
160.71 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Bladed and short to slender prisms.
Twinning:
Commonly on {110}, less frequently on {031} and {111}.
Comment:
Space group C2/m or C2. Incommensurately modulated structure. Some analogies to muthmannite.
Crystal Structure
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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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0009860 | Calaverite | Reithmayer K, Steurer W, Schulz H, de Boer J L (1993) High-pressure single-crystal structure study on calaverite, AuTe2 Acta Crystallographica B49 6-11 |  | 1993 | synthetic | 0.0001 | 293 |
| 0009827 | Calaverite | Schutte W J, de Boer J L (1988) Valence fluctuations in the incommensurately modulated structure of calaverite AuTe2 Acta Crystallographica B44 486-494 | | 1988 | Cripple Creek, Colorado | 0 | 293 |
| 0009826 | Calaverite | Schutte W J, de Boer J L (1988) Valence fluctuations in the incommensurately modulated structure of calaverite AuTe2 Acta Crystallographica B44 486-494 | | 1988 | Cripple Creek, Colorado | 0 | 293 |
| 0010874 | Calaverite | Pertlik F (1984) Kristallchemie naturlicher telluride III: Die kristallstruktur des minerals calaverit, AuTe2 Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 169 227-236 |  | 1984 | Cripple Creek, Colorado, USA | 0 | 293 |
| 0009862 | Calaverite | Reithmayer K, Steurer W, Schulz H, de Boer J L (1993) High-pressure single-crystal structure study on calaverite, AuTe2 Acta Crystallographica B49 6-11 | | 1993 | synthetic | 0.41 | 293 |
| 0009863 | Calaverite | Reithmayer K, Steurer W, Schulz H, de Boer J L (1993) High-pressure single-crystal structure study on calaverite, AuTe2 Acta Crystallographica B49 6-11 | | 1993 | synthetic | 0.63 | 293 |
| 0009864 | Calaverite | Reithmayer K, Steurer W, Schulz H, de Boer J L (1993) High-pressure single-crystal structure study on calaverite, AuTe2 Acta Crystallographica B49 6-11 | | 1993 | synthetic | 1.63 | 293 |
| 0009865 | Calaverite | Reithmayer K, Steurer W, Schulz H, de Boer J L (1993) High-pressure single-crystal structure study on calaverite, AuTe2 Acta Crystallographica B49 6-11 | | 1993 | synthetic | 1.78 | 293 |
| 0009866 | Calaverite | Reithmayer K, Steurer W, Schulz H, de Boer J L (1993) High-pressure single-crystal structure study on calaverite, AuTe2 Acta Crystallographica B49 6-11 | | 1993 | synthetic | 1.89 | 293 |
| 0009867 | Calaverite | Reithmayer K, Steurer W, Schulz H, de Boer J L (1993) High-pressure single-crystal structure study on calaverite, AuTe2 Acta Crystallographica B49 6-11 | | 1993 | synthetic | 2.4 | 293 |
| 0009868 | Calaverite | Reithmayer K, Steurer W, Schulz H, de Boer J L (1993) High-pressure single-crystal structure study on calaverite, AuTe2 Acta Crystallographica B49 6-11 | | 1993 | synthetic | 3.72 | 293 |
| 0009869 | Calaverite | Reithmayer K, Steurer W, Schulz H, de Boer J L (1993) High-pressure single-crystal structure study on calaverite, AuTe2 Acta Crystallographica B49 6-11 | | 1993 | synthetic | 5.13 | 293 |
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X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 3.02 Å | (100) |
| 2.93 Å | (30) |
| 2.20 Å | (40) |
| 2.09 Å | (80) |
| 1.758 Å | (30) |
| 1.689 Å | (30) |
| 1.506 Å | (30) |
Comments:
Similar to the data for muthmannite.
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:
Low temperature hydrothermal veins.
Type Occurrence of Calaverite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Massive and without crystalline structure.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
No defined type material.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Other Language Names for Calaverite
Dutch:Calaveriet
German:Calaverit
Japanese:カラヴェラス鉱
Russian:Калаверит
Simplified Chinese:碲金矿
Spanish:Calaverita
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 87 photos of Calaverite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 72 photos of Calaverite associated with Native Gold | Au |
| 47 photos of Calaverite associated with Fluorite | CaF2 |
| 42 photos of Calaverite associated with Rhodochrosite | MnCO3 |
| 36 photos of Calaverite associated with Pyrite | FeS2 |
| 36 photos of Calaverite associated with Nagyágite | [Pb3(Pb,Sb)3S6](Au,Te)3 |
| 33 photos of Calaverite associated with Coloradoite | HgTe |
| 30 photos of Calaverite associated with Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| 24 photos of Calaverite associated with Magnetite | Fe2+Fe3+2O4 |
| 21 photos of Calaverite associated with Petzite | Ag3AuTe2 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 2.EA. | Radvaniceite | GeS2 |
| 2.EA. | Zavyalovite | Ag2TeS3 |
| 2.EA.05 | Sylvanite | AgAuTe4 |
| 2.EA.15 | Kostovite | CuAuTe4 |
| 2.EA.15 | Krennerite | Au3AgTe8 |
| 2.EA.20 | Melonite | NiTe2 |
| 2.EA.20 | Merenskyite | PdTe2 |
| 2.EA.20 | Ognitite | NiBiTe |
| 2.EA.20 | Shuangfengite | IrTe2 |
| 2.EA.20 | Berndtite | SnS2 |
| 2.EA.20 | Sudovikovite | PtSe2 |
| 2.EA.20 | Kitkaite | NiTeSe |
| 2.EA.20 | Moncheite | Pt(Te,Bi)2 |
| 2.EA.25 | Verbeekite | PdSe2 |
| 2.EA.30 | Drysdallite | MoSe2 |
| 2.EA.30 | Jordisite | MoS2 |
| 2.EA.30 | Molybdenite | MoS2 |
| 2.EA.30 | Tungstenite | WS2 |
| 2.EA.40 | Pampaloite | AuSbTe |
Other Information
Notes:
Before the blowpipe on charcoal burns with a bluish green flame and yields globules of gold of a high yellow color. Nitric acid darkens it and separates metallic gold. Aqua regia dissolves calaverite with the separation of a minute quantity of chloride of silver.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses:
Gold ore
Internet Links for Calaverite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-852.html
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References for Calaverite
Reference List:
Penfield, S. L.; Ford, W. E. (1902) Ueber den Calaverit. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, 35 (1-6). 430-451 doi:10.1524/zkri.1902.35.1.430
Smith, G. P. Herbert (1903) Ueber das bemerkenswerthe Problem der Entwickelung der Krystallformen des Calaverit. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, 37 (1-6). 209-234 doi:10.1524/zkri.1903.37.1.209
Short, M. N. (1937) Etch tests on calaverite, krennerite, and sylvanite. American Mineralogist, 22 (5) 667-674
Thompson, R. M. (1949) The telluride minerals and their occurrence in Canada. American Mineralogist, 34 (5-6) 341-382
Amelinckx, S., Van Tendeloo, G., Gregoriades, P., Amelinckx, S. (1983) Electron microscopy studies of modulated structures in (Au, Ag)Te2: Part I. Calaverite AuTe2. Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 50. 321-334 doi:10.1016/0022-4596(83)90203-7
Pertlik, Franz (1984) Kristallchemie natürlicher Telluride III: Die Kristallstruktur des Minerals Calaverit, AuTe2. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie - Crystalline Materials, 169 (1) 227-236 doi:10.1524/zkri.1984.169.1-4.227
Janner, A., Donnay, J. D. H., Dam, B., Janner, A., Donnay, J. D. H. (1985) Incommensurate Morphology of Calaverite (AuTe2) Crystals. Physical Review Letters, 55 (21) 2301-2304 doi:10.1103/physrevlett.55.2301
Schutte, W. J., Dam, B., Janner, A., de Boer, J. L. (1987) Crystal structure and morphology of the incommensurately modulated compound AuTe2, calaverite. Acta Crystallographica Section A Foundations of Crystallography, 43. doi:10.1107/s0108767387077055
Schutte, W. J., de Boer, J. L. (1988) Valence fluctuations in the incommensurately modulated structure of calaverite AuTe2. Acta Crystallographica Section B Structural Science, 44 (5) 486-494 doi:10.1107/s0108768188007001
Janner, A., Dam, B. (1989) The morphology of calaverite (AuTe2) from data of 1931. Solution of an old problem of rational indices. Acta Crystallographica Section A Foundations of Crystallography, 45 (1) 115-123 doi:10.1107/s010876738800981x
Reithmayer, K., Steurer, W., Schulz, H., de Boer, J. L. (1993) High-pressure single-crystal structure study on calaverite, AuTe2. Acta Crystallographica Section B Structural Science, 49 (1) 6-11 doi:10.1107/s0108768192007286
Wagner, F. E., Sawicki, J. A., Friedl, J., Mandarino, J. A., Harris, D. C., Cabri, L. J. (1994) 197Au Mössbauer study of the gold–silver ditellurides sylvanite, krennerite and calaverite. The Canadian Mineralogist, 32 (1) 189-201
Stanek, J. (1995) 197Au Mössbauer study of the gold-silver ditellurides sylvanite, krennerite and calaverite: discussion. The Canadian Mineralogist, 33 (1) 185
Wagner, F. E., Sawicki, J. A., Friedl, J. (1995) 197Au Mössbauer study of the gold-silver ditellurides sylvanite, krennerite and calaverite: reply. The Canadian Mineralogist, 33 (1) 187-188
Kitahara, Ginga, Yoshiasa, Akira, Tokuda, Makoto, Nespolo, Massimo, Hongu, Hidetomo, Momma, Koichi, Miyawaki, Ritsuro, Sugiyama, Kazumasa (2022) Crystal structure, XANES and charge distribution investigation of krennerite and sylvanite: analysis of Au—Te and Te—Te bonds in Au1–xAgxTe2 group minerals. Acta Crystallographica Section B Structural Science, Crystal Engineering and Materials, 78 (2) 117-132 doi:10.1107/S2052520622000804
Localities for Calaverite
Showing 522 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.
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Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine, Eclipse Gulch, Cripple Creek Mining District, Teller County, Colorado, USA