Clogauite

clogauite

aleksite

tellurobismuthite

chalcopyrite

Images

Formula: PbBi4Te4S3
Sulphosalt, bismuth- and tellurium- bearing mineral
Crystal System: Trigonal
Specific gravity: 7.3724, 7.3738 and 7.3691 calculated for clogauite-12H, -24H and -36H, respectively, based on the empirical formulae
Streak: Black
Magnetism: Non-magnetic
Environments

Hydrothermal environments

Clogauite is a new mineral, approved in 2023 and to date (October 2024) reported only from the type locality.

Localities

At the type locality, the Clogau St Davids Mine, Llanelltyd, Gwynedd, Wales, UK, clogauite type material is a specimen representative of high-grade gold veins. Clogauite is the n = 1 member of the aleksite series, PbnBi4Te4Sn+2, where n is the homologue number. The type specimen contains lamellar intergrowths of clogauite, aleksite, galena, tellurobismuthite and minor chalcopyrite, with traces of native gold. Many of the coarser lamellae in the specimen feature fine-scale, partially disordered intergrowths of multiple lead - bismuth - chalcogenides of both the aleksite series and the tetradymite group minerals tellurobismuthite and tetradymite.
Clogauite occurs as fine lamellae, exceptionally up to 160 μm in width. Lustre, hardness, and other physical properties could not be measured due to the small size of the sample, but they can be expected to closely resemble those of tetradymite. Clogauite is non-magnetic and opaque (MM 88.461–472).

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