Schwartzite
Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Archaeodontosaurus" title="User:Archaeodontosaurus">Didier Descouens</a> (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Mineral NameSchwartzite
Chemical Formula(Cu,Hg,Fe,Zn)₁₂Sb₄S₁₃
Mohs Hardness3
Crystal Systemcubic
Lustermetallic
Streak Colorblack to brownish-black
Cleavagenone
Fractureconchoidal to uneven
Specific Gravity4.6
Colorsdark grey, silvery-grey
Transparencyopaque
Type LocalityKirchheimbolanden, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Mineral GroupSulfosalts
Usesminor ore of copper, antimony, mercury, collector
Associated Mineralsquartz, calcite, chalcopyrite, pyrite
Rarityuncommon
Description
The image displays numerous small, lustrous, dark grey to silvery-grey metallic crystals of Schwartzite, forming a druzy coating within a vug or cavity in a lighter-colored, earthy matrix.
Geological Context
Schwartzite, a mercury-rich variety of tetrahedrite, typically forms in low-temperature hydrothermal veins. It is found in various ore deposits, often associated with other sulfide minerals.
