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Formula: (Cu1+,Zn)11Fe4(Ge4+,As5+)2S16
Sulphide, germanite group
Crystal System: Tetragonal
Specific gravity: 4.38
Hardness: 4 to 5
Streak: Blackish grey
Colour: Orange-bronze, tarnishes reddish
Common impurities: Ga,Pb
Environments
Renierite is an arsenic and germanium
bearing mineral that occurs rarely in a few
dolostone-hosted
copper-lead-zinc
deposits and in germanium-bearing hydrothermal polymetallic deposits
(Webmin, HOM).
Associated minerals include germanite, tennantite,
enargite, digenite,
bornite, chalcopyrite and
sphalerite (HOM). Renierite has been found as inclusions in
chalcopyrite, sphalerite,
galena and tennantite, and it also sometimes contains
inclusions of tennantite itself
(AM 35.136).
Localities
At the volcaniclastic-hosted
copper-lead-zinc Radka
Mine, Levski, Panagyurishte, Pazardzhik Province, Bulgaria, renierite
appears to coexist in equilibrium with bornite,
chalcopyrite, tennantite,
chalcocite, galena and
sphalerite. It usually appears to replace
germanite where the two are found together
(AM 71.210-221).
At the Chelopech Au-Cu Mine, Chelopech, Sofia City Province, Bulgaria, the deposit is hosted in
andesite-dacite, and renierite
is associated with enargite, luzonite,
tennantite, pyrite,
famatinite, colusite,
kësterite, hemusite,
chalcopyrite, bornite,
covellite, digenite and
gold
(AM 71.210-221).
At the type locality, the Kipushi Mine, Kipushi, Haut-Katanga, DR Congo, renierite is found abundantly. The
zinc-copper-lead
orebody occurs at the faulted boundary between brecciated
dolomitic shale and a marine
dolomite sequence. Associated minerals include
bornite, tennantite,
chalcopyrite, sphalerite,
galena, briartite and
gallite
(AM 71.210-221).
At the San Giovanneddu mine, Gonnesa, South Sardinia Province, Sardinia, Italy, renierite occurs in
dolostone and schist associated
with sphalerite, galena,
baryte and pyrite
(AM 71.210-221).
At the Shakanai mine, Odate, Akita, Japan, renierite occurs in
dacite-basalt, associated with
chalcopyrite, pyrite,
sphalerite, galena,
bornite, digenite,
covellite, gold variety electrum,
stromeyerite and furutobeite
(AM 71.210-221).
In Kazakhstan, probably at the Maikain Au deposit, Bayanaul, Pavlodar Region, Kazakhstan, renierite is associated with
sphalerite, bornite,
tennantite, chalcocite,
galena, pyrite,
enargite, luzonite and
baryte
(AM 71.210-221).
At the Tsumeb mine, Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region, Namibia, renierite is abundant. The
lead-zinc-copper deposit
consists of a
intrusive pipe within a dolomite sequence. The pipe contains massive sulphide ore together
with breccia, lamprophyre,
dolerite dikes, and a
quartz-feldspar rock. Renierite occurs
as microscopic intergrowths throughout the hypogene ore. The germanium-rich ore
zones contain large amounts of germanite (masses weighing up to 28 tons have been found)
together with smaller amounts of renierite, briartite and
gallite. The renierite occurs as fine-grained inclusions within
germanite, which it sometimes appears to have replaced, and as fine-grained masses associated
with tennantite, chalcopyrite,
bornite, sphalerite,
germanite, gallite,
galena, enargite,
digenite and pyrite. Stringers of
germanite and renierite are also occasionally found in the
dolomitic wallrock
(AM 71.210-221).
At the Urup Cu Deposit, Karachaevo-Cherkesskaya Republic, Northern Caucasus Region, Russia, renierite occurs in a hydrothermal
environment associated with pyrite, chalcopyrite,
bornite, sphalerite,
galena, tennantite and
luzonite
(AM 71.210-221).
At the Ruby Creek Prospect, Shungnak District, Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska, USA, the deposit consists of sulphide-rich
dolomite breccia zones within a marine
carbonate sequence. Both zinc-bearing and arsenic-bearing renierite are found here as
microscopic inclusions in bornite and chalcocite,
associated with chalcopyrite,
tennantite-tetrahedrite,
pyrite, sphalerite,
carrollite and rare tiny grains of germanite
(AM 71.210-221).
At the Inexco Mine, Jamestown District, Boulder county, Colorado, USA, the deposit consists of stockwork veins and
breccia pipes within granite,
gneiss and schist, adjacent to a
porphyritic granodiorite pipe and a
quartz-monzonite to
syenite pipe. The veins and breccia pipes
contain abundant sulphides and sulphosalts, with significant concentrations of bismuth,
tellurium and gold.
Fluorite is found throughout the deposit.
Arsenic-bearing renierite is found in high-grade
lead-copper-silver-zinc
ore. The renierite occurs as inclusions up to 75 pm across in chalcopyrite,
galena and bornite, together with
tennantite, chalcocite,
fluorite and quartz. Other reported minerals include
bismuth, geocronite,
gold and possibly tiny amounts of germanite and
briartite in the ore
(AM 71.210-221).
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