Kostovite

kostovite

tellurium

kesterite

petzite

Images

Formula: AuCuTe4
Telluride of gold and copper
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 8.43 measured, 7.94 calculated
Hardness: 2 to 2½
Colour: Greyish white
Common impurities: Ag,Fe,Sb,S
Magnetism: Non-Magnetic
Environments

Hydrothermal environments

Localities

At the type locality, the Chelopech Au-Cu Mine, Chelopech Municipality, Sofia Province, Bulgaria, kostovite was found in the replacement copper ore deposit in association with tennantite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, native tellurium, native gold, tellurides, kesterite and baryte. Kostovite forms small grains and short veinlets in tennantite and chalcopyrite. Fine polysynthetic lamellae are characteristic (AM 51.29-36, HOM).

At the Campbell Mine, Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona, USA, kostovite was found in the gold- and tellurium- bearing replacement copper deposit (HOM).
Kostovite from the Campbell Mine - Image

At Buckeye Gulch, Alicante, Lake County, Colorado, USA, kostovite was found associated with tellurium, hessite and sylvanite (HOM).

At the Kockbulak mine, Ohangaron District, Tashkent Region, Uzbekistan, kostovite was found associated with tellurium, altaite, calaverite, sylvanite, petzite, hessite, tellurantimony, melonite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite and sphalerite (HOM).

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