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Formula: Cu2FeSnS4
Sulphide, stannite group
Crystal System: Tetragonal
Specific gravity: 4.3 to 4.5 measured, 4.49 calculated
Hardness: 4
Streak: Black
Colour: Grey, black with an olive-green tint, tarnishes pale blue
Common impurities: Ag,Zn,Cd,In
Environments:
Stannite occurs widely in tin-bearing hydrothermal vein deposits,
(Webmin, Dana, HOM)
associated with chalcopyrite, sphalerite,
tetrahedrite, arsenopyrite,
pyrite, cassiterite and
wolframite (material intermediate between hübnerite and
ferberite)
(HOM).
At the San Jose mine, Oruro, Bolivia, andorite crystals perched on stannite crystals are found
as floaters anclosed in acicular boulangerite
(MinRec 37.3.242).
At Llallagua, Potosi, Bolivia, stannite is not common, but it does form good cryatls. It is associated with
sphalerite and sometimes replaces it, and also is commonly associated with
franckeite and cylindrite
(MinRec 27.2.152-153).
At Yaogangxian, Hunan, China, stannite sometimes occurs well crystallised on quartz, and is associated
with all other sulphides in the deposit; these include arsenopyrite,
berthierite, bismuthinite,
bornite, boulangerite,
bournonite, chalcopyrite,
galena, jamesonite,
marcasite,
molybdenite, pyrite,
pyrrhotite, semseyite,
sphalerite, stibnite and
tetrahedrite
(R&M 80.1.56, MinRec 42.6.594-597).
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