Hexathioplumbite

hexathioplumbite

cubothioplumbite

fassinaite

hydroredmondite

Images

Formula: [Pb4(OH)4]Pb(S2O3)3
Sulphate. thiosulphate, paramorph of cubothioplumbite
Crystal System: Hexagonal
Specific gravity: 5.531 calculated for the empirical formula, 5.552 calculated for the ideal formula
Hardness: 2½
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless
Luminescence: The mineral does not fluoresce under long wave or shortwave UV
Solubility: Slowly dissolves in room-temperature dilute hydrochloric acid
Environments

Metamorphic enviroments

Hexathioplumbite is a new mineral, approved in 2021 and to date (August 2023) reported only from the type locality.

Localities

At the type locality, the Redmond mine, Waterville Lake, Haywood county, North Carolina, USA, hexathioplumbite and cubothioplumbite were found underground. The ore, consisting mainly of galena and sphalerite with lesser chalcopyrite, occurs in an epithermal vein system consisting of disconnected sulphide-bearing quartz lenses near the contact between a granite gneiss and a mica schist. Cubothioplumbite and hexathioplumbite occur together in a localised, unusual secondary mineral assemblage in vugs in massive galena - sphalerite - chalcopyrite - quartz in close association with anglesite, cerussite, fassinaite, hydroredmondite, lanarkite and steverustite.
Crystals of hexathioplumbite occur as colourless, transparent, hexagonal prisms up to about 1 mm in length. Twinning is observed, the streak is white and the lustre is adamantine (CJMP 61.623-633).

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