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Formula: Cu2FeGeS4
Sulphide, stannite group
Crystal System: Tetragonal
Specific gravity: 4.337 calculated
Hardness: 3½ to 4½
Colour: Grey to grey-blue
Common impurities: Ga,Sn
Environments
Briartite occurs as rare inclusions in other germanium and
gallium bearing sulphides. Associated minerals include chalcopyrite,
tennantite, renierite,
germanite, galena and
sphalerite
(HOM).
Localities
At the type locality, the Kipushi Mine, Kipushi, Haut-Katanga, DR Congo, briartite occurs as inclusions,
mostly 0.1 to 0.3 mm in size, in chalcopyrite,
tennantite, renierite,
sphalerite, germanite
and galena
(AM 51.1816, Mindat).
Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region, Namibia. A specimen, labeled
germanite from southeast Africa, which is in the Fersman Mineralogical
Museum, Moscow, and which is probably from Tsumeb, Namibia, was found to contain briartite. Grains of the
mineral occur within renierite, have inclusions of
renierite, and coexist with
tennantite and chalcopyrite
(AM 80: 849.).
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