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Formula: As4S
Sulphide
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 4.50 calculated
Hardness: 2 to 2½
Streak: Black
Colour: Red
Environments
Sedimentary environments
Hydrothermal environments
Duranusite is a rare mineral that occurs associated with native arsenic,
realgar, orpiment,
stibnite, sphalerite,
rhodochrosite, quartz and
calcite
(HOM).
Localities
In the Nueva Esperanza vein, Capillitas mining district, Andalgalá Department, Catamarca Province, Argentina,
realgar occurs as disseminated grains within layers of banded
rhodochrosite in an epithermal deposit. The
realgar has been altered by deuteric solutions to form the rare mineral
duranusite. The duranusite occurs as thin lamellae and filaments intimately intergrown with crusts and
small hemispherical bodies of nearly pure sphalerite
(CM 37.1255-1259).
At the type locality, L'Eguisse Mine, Duranus, Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France, duranusite
occurs as grains up to 0.2 mm encased in realgar in
calcite veinlets in marl and
siliceous limestone. Associated minerals include
stibnite, realgar,
quartz, native arsenic,
orpiment and calcite
(AM 60.945, Mindat).
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