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Formula: Cu1+4Cu2+2SnMoS8
Sulphide, molybdenum-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Isometric
Specific gravity: 4.469 calculated
Hardness: 4
Colour: Grey
Common impurities: Fe,As,Se,Te
Environments
Localities
The type locality is the Chelopech Au-Cu Mine, Chelopech Municipality, Sofia Province, Bulgaria. The ore deposit
contains predominantly copper, but also
lead - zinc and
baryte bodies, represented by irregular replacements of
propylitised andesite.
The main ore minerals are pyrite,
chalcopyrite, tennantite,
enargite, luzonite,
bornite, galena and
sphalerite. Copper ore bodies are
found in the deeper levels while the lead- and
zinc- bearing minerals are above and around them. Uppermost is a
baryte zone locally enriched in
fluorite. Within the copper zone,
a chalcopyrite - tennantite
- pyrite association gradually gives way at depth to a
luzonite - enargite -
pyrite association which in turn is locally replaced by a
bornite - pyrite zone at the deepest
levels.
Hemusite was established in the luzonite -
enargite - pyrite zone of
copper ores in close association with other minor minerals such as
colusite, stannoidite,
renierite, chalcopyrite and
tennantite.
Hemusite occurs in rounded isometric grains 0.05 mm in diameter and aggregates of irregular shape. In some
cases hemusite surrounds colusite -
stannoidite aggregates. Hemusite is one of the first of the
minerals in the association to be formed
(AM 56.1847-1854).
At the Kockbulak mine, Okhangaron District, Tashkent, Uzbekistan hemusite occurs in
the epithermal gold - silver deposit in
porphyritic andesite
(HOM).
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