Hatchite - Encyclopedia
Class : Sulfides and sulfosalts
Subclass : Sulfosalts
Crystal system : Triclinic
Chemistry : (Pb,Tl)2AgAs2S5
Rarity : Very rare
Hatchite is an extremely rare sulfoarsenide of hydrothermal origin. It was named in honor of the American geologist and mining engineer Frederick Henry Hatch. It occurs in short prismatic crystals of 1 mm or less and is often associated with rathite, realgar and pyrite. Hatchite is dark gray in color and tarnishes in the air; it is almost impossible to distinguish from other sulfoarsenides by simple means.
Main photo : Hatchite and pyrite from Lengenbach Quarry, Binn Valley, Valais, Switzerland © Stephan Wolfsried
Hatchite in the World
Twinning
No twin known for this mineral species.
Fakes and treatments
No fakes recorded for this mineral species.
Hardness : -
Density : 5.81
Fracture : Irregular
Streak : Brown
TP : Opaque
RI : -
Birefringence : -
Optical character : -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : -
Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None