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Formula: PbBi2S4
Sulphosalt, bismuth-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 6.9 to 7.1 measured, 7.195 calculated
Hardness: 2½ to 3½
Streak: Grey-black
Colour: Lead-grey, grey, light grey, tin-white
Environments
Associated minerals include galena, bismuth,
cosalite, aikinite,
tellurobismuthite, joséite,
tetradymite, tetrahedrite,
gold, pyrite and
quartz
(HOM).
Localities
At Kingsgate, Gough county, New South Wales, Australia, galenobismutite is a relatively common
primary mineral in masses to 5 cm associated with galena,
bismuth, bismuthinite and
cosalite
(AJM 14.1.21).
Galenobismutite from Kingsgate - Image
At the Monte Cervandone area, Devero Alp, Baceno, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola Province, Piedmont, Italy, of the
lead, bismuth and
uranium bearing species found in
gneissic clefts in the Mättital-Hillehorn-Ritter Pass area on the
southwest, only galenobismutite forms collector-quality specimens—and that only in two noteworthy finds. In
1986, excellent galenobismutite specimens came from clefts in the Saflisch water tunnel; long-prismatic, bright
silvery-metallic galenobismutite crystals to 1 cm with visible terminal faces emerged from the find. Similar
specimens also came from a cleft in the upper Mättital.
In 2004–2005, microscopic crystals of four more very rare sulphosalts,
gladite, krupkaite,
paarite and salzburgite, were
discovered in the Wannigletscher and Chummibort areas
(MinRec 56.3.315-316).
The type locality is Kogruvan, Nordmark Odal Field, Filipstad, Värmland County, Sweden.
Galenobismutite from Kogruvan - Image
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