Aikinite

aikinite

enargite

tennantite

bismuthinite

Images

Formula: CuPbBiS3
Sulphosalt, forms a series with bismuthinite, bismuth-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 7.06 to 7.08 measured 7.255 calculated
Hardness: 2 to 2½
Streak: Greyish black
Colour: Blackish lead-grey
Environments

Hydrothermal environments

Aikinite is an uncommon bismuth-bearing mineral in hydrothermal veins, associated with gold, pyrite, galena, tennantite, bismuthinite, enargite, chalcopyrite and quartz (HOM, Mindat).

Localities

The Two Mile and Three Mile deposits, Paddy's River, Paddys River District, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, are skarn deposits at the contact between granodiorite and volcanic rocks. Aikinite is a primary sulphosalt that occurs in minor amounts as small grains and aggregates intergrown with galena close to adjacent chalcopyrite and within chalcopyrite and associated gangue in copper-rich material (AJM 22.1.38).

The type locality is the Berezovsk Deposit, Beryozovsky, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia.

At the Carrock mine, Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, England, UK, aikinite has been found as minute crystals in quartz stringers in greisen (C&S).

At the Chantilly Quarry, Chantilly, Loudoun county, Virginia, USA, silver-coloured prismatic crystals of aikinite to approximately 3 mm in length have been found, also as microwires extending from prehnite (R&M 98.2.123).

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