Sulfosalt mineral

Structure of proustite Ag₃AsS₃, a classic sulfosalt, which can be viewed as the Ag⁺ salt of AsS3−3. Sulfosalts characteristically feature A–S–B linkages, where A and B are different metals or metalloids.

Sulfosalt minerals are sulfide minerals with the general formula A_mB_nX_p, where

A represents a metal such as copper, lead, silver, iron, and rarely mercury, zinc, vanadium
B usually represents semi-metal such as arsenic, antimony, bismuth, and rarely germanium, or metals like tin and rarely vanadium
X is sulfur or rarely selenium and/or tellurium.^[1]

The Strunz classification includes the sulfosalts in a sulfides and sulfosalts superclass.^[1] A group which have similar appearing formulas are the sulfarsenides (for example cobaltite (Co,Fe)AsS). In sulfarsenides the arsenic substitutes for sulfide anions whereas in the sulfosalts the arsenic substitutes for a metal cation.^[2]

About 200 sulfosalt minerals are known. Examples include:^[3]

As illustrated by this specimen of proustite, sulfosalt minerals are often deeply colored.

A₃BX₃ type
- Pyrargyrite Ag₃SbS₃
- Proustite Ag₃AsS₃
- Tetrahedrite Cu₁₂Sb₄S₁₃
- Tennantite Cu₁₂As₄S₁₃
A₃BX₄ type
- Enargite Cu₃AsS₄
- Sulvanite Cu₃VS₄
- Samsonite Ag₄MnSb₂S₆
- Geocronite Pb₁₄(Sb,As)₆S₂₃
- Gratonite Pb₉As₄S₁₅
A₂BX₃ type
- Bournonite PbCuSbS₃
- Seligmannite PbCuAsS₃
- Aikinite PbCuBiS₃
ABX₂ type
- Boulangerite Pb₅Sb₄S₁₁
- Matildite AgBiS₂
- Smithite AgAsS₂
- Chalcostibite CuSbS₂
- Emplectite CuBiS₂
- Teallite PbSnS₂
A₂B₂X₅ type
- Ramdohrite Ag₃Pb₆Sb₁₁S₂₄
- Jamesonite Pb₄FeSb₆S₁₄
- Cosalite Pb₂Bi₂S₅
A₂B₃X₆ type
- Andorite PbAgSb₃S₆
- Lindstromite Pb₃Cu₃Bi₇S₁₅
AB₂X₄ type
- Zinkenite Pb₉Sb₂₂S₄₂
- Berthierite FeSb₂S₄
- Cylindrite Pb₃Sn₄FeSb₂S₁₄

^ ^a ^b "Strunz classification of sulfides and sulfosalts". Mindat.
^ Klein, Cornelis and Cornelius S. Hurlbut (1985). Manual of Mineralogy, 20th ed., John Wiley and Sons, New York ISBN 0-471-80580-7.
^ Palache, C., H. Berman, and C. Frondel (1944). Dana’s System of Mineralogy, (7th edition), v. I, pp. 348–350

[Mindat-1] "Strunz classification of sulfides and sulfosalts". Mindat.

[Klein-2] Klein, Cornelis and Cornelius S. Hurlbut (1985). Manual of Mineralogy, 20th ed., John Wiley and Sons, New York ISBN 0-471-80580-7.

[3] Palache, C., H. Berman, and C. Frondel (1944). Dana’s System of Mineralogy, (7th edition), v. I, pp. 348–350

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Sulfosalt mineral

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