Emplectite - Encyclopedia

    Class : Sulfides and sulfosalts
    Subclass : Sulfosalts
    Crystal system : Orthorhombic
    Chemistry : CuBiS2
    Rarity : Rare

Emplectite is a rare sulphide of hydrothermal copper-bismuth metalliferous veins, in which it is associated with other minerals of these metals, notably wittichenite. Its name comes from the Greek emplektos (intertwined) because it is often found in association with quartz. It occurs in elongated to acicular prismatic crystals, striated parallel to [001], usually not very spectacular. Its luster is metallic, its grayish to tin-white color, becoming bronzed by oxidation. Mixite pseudomorphs are common. It is an occasional bismuth ore.

Main photo : Emplectite from the Clara Mine, Germany © Michael Förch

Emplectite by Barbora adit, Knöttel, Teplice, Czech Republic © Petr Fuchs
Emplectite of the Clara Mine, Germany © Michael Förch
Emplectite of Schmiedestollen dump, Wittichen, Germany © Michael Förch
Emplectite in fluorite from Johanngeorgenstadt, Germany © Carsten Slotta

Emplectite in the World

Good emplectite crystals have been extracted from the Erzgebirge mountains, notably Pechtelsgrün and Johanngeorgenstadt (Germany), it is also present at Horni Slavkov (Czech Republic) in needles in quartz and barite geodes.

Emplectite in France

In France, emplectite was discovered in centimeter-sized crystals at Faymont (Vosges) in free crystals in quartz geodes. It is also known in Ste-Marie-aux-Mine (Haut-Rhin), Quistiav (Morbihan) and Moulinal (Tarn).

Twinning

Contact twins are observable on polished sections.

Fakes and treatments

No fake listed for this mineral species.


Hardness : 2
Density : 6.38
Fracture : Irregular to conchoidal
Streak : Black

TP : Opaque
RI : -
Birefringence : -
Optical character : -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None

Solubility : Nitric acid


Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None