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Dyscrasite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Dyscrasite
Formula:
Ag3Sb
May contain minor Au replacing Ag.
Colour:
Silver White
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
3½ - 4
Specific Gravity:
9.712
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
From δνσκράσις, a bad alloy.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
1342
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:1342:6
IMA Classification of Dyscrasite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
Ag3.2Sb0.8
Classification of Dyscrasite
2.AA.35
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
A : Alloys
A : Alloys of metalloids with Cu, Ag, Au
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
A : Alloys
A : Alloys of metalloids with Cu, Ag, Au
2.2.1.1
2 : SULFIDES
2 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 3:1
2 : SULFIDES
2 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 3:1
1.48
1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)
1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Dys | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Pronunciation of Dyscrasite
Pronunciation:
| Play | Recorded by | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Jolyon Ralph | United Kingdom |
Physical Properties of Dyscrasite
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Silver White
Comment:
Tarnishes to lead gray, yellowish or black
Streak:
Silver-white
Hardness:
3½ - 4 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=153 - 179 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Tenacity:
Sectile
Cleavage:
Distinct/Good
Distinct on {001} {001}
Imperfect on {110}
Distinct on {001} {001}
Imperfect on {110}
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven
Comment:
Sectile, but brittle
Density:
9.712 g/cm3 (Measured) 9.720 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Dyscrasite
Anisotropism:
Weak
Reflectivity:
| Wavelength | R1 (%) | R2 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 400nm | 57.0% | 57.7% |
| 420nm | 57.7% | 59.0% |
| 440nm | 58.3% | 60.1% |
| 460nm | 59.1% | 61.2% |
| 480nm | 59.6% | 61.7% |
| 500nm | 59.9% | 62.1% |
| 520nm | 60.0% | 62.4% |
| 540nm | 60.1% | 62.7% |
| 560nm | 60.0% | 62.9% |
| 580nm | 59.8% | 63.0% |
| 600nm | 59.6% | 63.0% |
| 620nm | 59.5% | 63.0% |
| 640nm | 59.4% | 63.1% |
| 660nm | 59.3% | 63.0% |
| 680nm | 59.3% | 63.1% |
| 700nm | 59.6% | 63.4% |
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 63.4%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Pleochroism:
Weak
Chemistry of Dyscrasite
Mindat Formula:
Ag3Sb
May contain minor Au replacing Ag.
May contain minor Au replacing Ag.
Elements listed:
Common Impurities:
Hg
Crystallography of Dyscrasite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mm2 - Pyramidal
Space Group:
Pmm2
Cell Parameters:
a = 3.008 Å, b = 4.828 Å, c = 5.214 Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.623 : 1 : 1.08
Unit Cell V:
75.72 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
1
Morphology:
Pyramidal crystals, prismatic to platy, striated; granular, foliated, massive
Twinning:
On {110} giving pseudohexagonal forms and V-shapes
Crystallographic forms of Dyscrasite
Crystal Atlas:
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Dyscrasite - {111}, {021}
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by
www.smorf.nl.
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0005121 | Dyscrasite | Scott J D (1976) Refinement of the crystal structure of dyscrasite, and its implications for the structure of allargentum The Canadian Mineralogist 14 139-142 |  | 1976 | 0 | 293 | |
| 0017988 | Dyscrasite | Peacock M, Berry L (1940) Roentgenographic observations on ore minerals _cod_database_code 1011092 University of Toronto Studies, Geological Series 44 47-69 | 1940 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2.29 Å | (100) |
| 2.42 Å | (40) |
| 1.370 Å | (40) |
| 2.61 Å | (30) |
| 1.771 Å | (30) |
| 1.506 Å | (30) |
| 1.278 Å | (30) |
Comments:
St. Andreasberg, Germany.
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| High-𝑇 alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12]) |
Geological Setting:
Hydrothermal veins, especially Ni-Co-Ag-As veins.
Type Occurrence of Dyscrasite
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
No designated type material.
Synonyms of Dyscrasite
Other Language Names for Dyscrasite
Dutch:Dyscrasiet
French:Argent antimoniale
Dyscrase
Dyscrase
German:Dyskrasit
Antimonsilber
Discrasit
Silberspießglanz
Spießglanz-Silber
Spiessglanzsilber
Spiessglassilber
Stibiotriargentit
Antimonsilber
Discrasit
Silberspießglanz
Spießglanz-Silber
Spiessglanzsilber
Spiessglassilber
Stibiotriargentit
Russian:Дискразит
Simplified Chinese:锑银矿
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 179 photos of Dyscrasite associated with Calcite | CaCO3 |
| 153 photos of Dyscrasite associated with Native Silver | Ag |
| 102 photos of Dyscrasite associated with Native Arsenic | As |
| 93 photos of Dyscrasite associated with Allargentum | (Ag1-xSbx) |
| 86 photos of Dyscrasite associated with Löllingite | FeAs2 |
| 82 photos of Dyscrasite associated with Stibarsen | AsSb |
| 63 photos of Dyscrasite associated with Galena | PbS |
| 51 photos of Dyscrasite associated with Actinolite | ◻Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2 |
| 33 photos of Dyscrasite associated with Native Antimony | Sb |
| 30 photos of Dyscrasite associated with Pyrargyrite | Ag3SbS3 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 2.AA. | Trigodomeykite | Cu3-xAs |
| 2.AA.10b | Domeykite | Cu3As |
| 2.AA.10a | Algodonite | (Cu1-xAsx) |
| 2.AA.10d | Koutekite | Cu5As2 |
| 2.AA.15 | Novákite | (Cu,Ag)21As10 |
| 2.AA.20 | Cuprostibite | Cu2(Sb,Tl) |
| 2.AA.25 | Kutinaite | Ag6Cu14As7 |
| 2.AA.30 | Allargentum | (Ag1-xSbx) |
| 2.AA.40 | Maldonite | Au2Bi |
| 2.AA.45 | Stistaite | SnSb |
| 2.AA.50 | Zaccariniite | RhNiAs |
| 2.AA.55 | Dienerite | Ni3As |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses:
Minor silver ore
Internet Links for Dyscrasite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-1342.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
Search Engines:
Samson Mine, St Andreasberg, Braunlage, Goslar District, Lower Saxony, Germany