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Bournonite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
This page kindly sponsored by Mark Kucera
About Bournonite
Formula:
PbCuSbS3
Colour:
Steel-gray
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
2½ - 3
Specific Gravity:
5.83
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Member of:
Name:
Named in 1805 by Robert Jameson in honor of Jacques-Louis, Comte de Bournon [21 January 1751 - 24 August 1825], crystallographer and mineralogist. Count de Bournon left France after the French Revolution to England and did not return to France until the Bourbon Restoration in 1814. Count de Bournon was an active mineralogist and researched the composition of meteorites (as early as 1802), but his research in mineralogical classification is his best-known contribution and he authored several detailed mineral collection catalogs featuring his classifications. Count de Bournon was one of the founders of the Geological Society in 1807. Count de Bournon named fibrolite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
741
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:741:6
Similar Names
| Bournonite (of Lucas) | A synonym of Sillimanite |
IMA Classification of Bournonite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
Cu1+Pb2+Sb3+S2-3
Classification of Bournonite
2.GA.50
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
G : Sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites
A : Neso-sulfarsenites, etc. without additional S
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
G : Sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites
A : Neso-sulfarsenites, etc. without additional S
3.4.3.2
3 : SULFOSALTS
4 : ø = 3
3 : SULFOSALTS
4 : ø = 3
5.7.2
5 : Sulphosalts - Sulpharsenites and Sulphobismuthites (those containing Sn, Ge,or V are in Section 6)
7 : Sulpharsenites etc. of Pb and other metals
5 : Sulphosalts - Sulpharsenites and Sulphobismuthites (those containing Sn, Ge,or V are in Section 6)
7 : Sulpharsenites etc. of Pb and other metals
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Bnn | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
| Bnn | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download |
Pronunciation of Bournonite
Pronunciation:
| Play | Recorded by | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Jolyon Ralph | United Kingdom |
Physical Properties of Bournonite
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Steel-gray
Streak:
Steel-gray
Hardness:
2½ - 3 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=176 - 205 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Hardness Data:
Measured
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Imperfect/Fair
Imperfect on {010}, less perfect on {100}{001}
Imperfect on {010}, less perfect on {100}{001}
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven, Sub-Conchoidal
Density:
5.83 g/cm3 (Measured) 5.84 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Bournonite
Anisotropism:
Weak
Reflectivity:
| Wavelength | R1 (%) | R2 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 400nm | 37.0% | 37.4% |
| 420nm | 36.8% | 37.3% |
| 440nm | 36.5% | 37.2% |
| 460nm | 36.1% | 37.0% |
| 480nm | 35.6% | 36.8% |
| 500nm | 35.2% | 36.6% |
| 520nm | 34.8% | 36.4% |
| 540nm | 34.3% | 36.2% |
| 560nm | 33.8% | 35.8% |
| 580nm | 33.4% | 35.5% |
| 600nm | 33.0% | 35.1% |
| 620nm | 32.7% | 34.7% |
| 640nm | 32.3% | 34.0% |
| 660nm | 32.0% | 33.4% |
| 680nm | 31.4% | 32.7% |
| 700nm | 30.8% | 32.1% |
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 37.4%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Colour in reflected light:
White
Pleochroism:
Weak
Comments:
Very weak.
Chemistry of Bournonite
Mindat Formula:
PbCuSbS3
Element Weights:
Elements listed:
Common Impurities:
As,Ag,Fe,Zn,Mn,Ni
Crystallography of Bournonite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mm2 - Pyramidal
Space Group:
Pmn21
Cell Parameters:
a = 8.153(1) Å, b = 8.692(3) Å, c = 7.793(2) Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.938 : 1 : 0.897
Unit Cell V:
552.26 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Crystals usually short prismatic to tabular [001]. Crystals often form sub-parallel aggregates. Faces {hk0} striated [001], {h01} striated [010], {100} lustrous and striated [010], {010} usually smooth and lustrous.
Twinning:
On {110} very common often repeated, forming cruciform or wheel-like aggregates ("cogwheels"). Twin gliding: x1 {110}, δ2 [110]. Usually exhibits polysynthetic twinning on {110}, in part due to deformation.
Crystallographic forms of Bournonite
Crystal Atlas:
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Bournonite no.98 - {001} - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Bournonite - Repeated contact twin on {110}
Bournonite - Contact twin on {110}
Bournonite - Tabular {001}
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by
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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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0010713 | Bournonite | Edenharter A, Nowacki W, Takeuchi Y (1970) Verfeinerung der kristallstruktur von bournonit [SbS3)2|Cu(IV)2PB(VII)Pb(VIII)] und von seligmannit [(AsS3)2)|Cu(IV)2Pb(VII)PB(VIII)] Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 131 397-417 |  | 1970 | Kanton Graubunden | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Loading XRD data...
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2.74 Å | (100) |
| 3.90 Å | (80) |
| 1.765 Å | (60) |
| 2.59 Å | (50) |
| 4.37 Å | (40) |
| 2.99 Å | (40) |
| 2.69 Å | (40) |
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:
Moderate temperature hydrothermal veins.
Type Occurrence of Bournonite
Synonyms of Bournonite
Other Language Names for Bournonite
Relationship of Bournonite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of Bournonite Group:
| Cerromojonite | CuPbBiSe3 | Orth. |
| Seligmannite | PbCuAsS3 | Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pmmn |
| Součekite | CuPbBi(S,Se)3 | Orth. mm2 |
Forms a series with:
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 979 photos of Bournonite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 734 photos of Bournonite associated with Pyrite | FeS2 |
| 553 photos of Bournonite associated with Sphalerite | ZnS |
| 343 photos of Bournonite associated with Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| 308 photos of Bournonite associated with Siderite | FeCO3 |
| 298 photos of Bournonite associated with Galena | PbS |
| 228 photos of Bournonite associated with |
Herodsfoot Mine, Lanreath, Cornwall, England, UK