Liveingite

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Formula: Pb₂₀As₂₄S₅₆
Sulpharsenite, sartorite group
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 5.3 measured, 5.43 calculated
Hardness: 3
Streak: Chocolate-brown
Colour: Lead-grey
Environments

Hydrothermal environments

Localities

At the type locality, the Lengenbach Quarry, Fäld, Binn, Goms, Valais, Switzerland, liveingite occurs as crystals to 5 cm long, elongated and striated along their length. Associated minerals include pyrite and sphalerite (Mindat, HOM).
It is proposed that the Lengenbach deposit was originally a sulphide dolostone deposit containing galena and sphalerite, which was invaded by arsenic-rich hydothermal fluids. These fluids introduced copper, silver and thallium in addition to arsenic into the deposit. The lead-arsenic sulphide minerals were formed during metamorphism and hydrothermal alteration with the least arsenic-rich minerals forming first and being progressively replaced by the more arsenic-rich minerals as the reactions progressed. The hydrothermal alteration continued until the minerals reached saturation in arsenic or the reaction conditions changed, resulting in the crystallisation of realgar. According to this hypothesis, the first lead-arsenic mineral to form at Lengenbach was jordanite, followed, in sequence, by dufrénoysite, liveingite, baumhauerite, rathite and sartorite (AM 75.289-294).

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