FIZELYITE

    Class : Sulfides and sulfosalts
    Subclass : Sulfosalts
    Crystal system : Monoclinic
    Chemistry : Pb14Ag5Sb21S48
    Rarity : Very rare

Fizélyite is a complex silver sulfide present in polymetallic hydrothermal veins, especially those with dominant lead. It was named in honor of Sandor Fizely, a Hungarian mining engineer who discovered fizélyite in Herja (Romania). It is a mineral which constitutes small, deeply striated prismatic crystals without terminal faces, lead gray to steel gray in color ; the crystals are almost systematically twinned.

Main photo : Fizelyite from Claus-Friedrich Mine, Beerberg, St Andreasberg, Germany © Manfred Gross

Fizélyite in the World

Fizélyite occurs in beautiful crystals in the Romanian mines of Herja (Baia Sprie) and Baita, near Baia Mare where it can be associated with realgar. It is also known in Trebsko, near Pribram (Czech Republic).

Right photo : Fizélyite and boulangerite from Herja Mine Baia Mare, Romania © Gianfranco Ciccolini

Fizélyite in France

In France, we know of fizélyite in microscopic areas in the Farges vein (Corrèze) and in Bournac (Hérault). It is also reported in Marsanges (Haute-Loire) and Peyrebrune (Tarn).

Twinning

Twins are known on {010} with two series of polysynthetic twins parallel to [001] and {001}.

Fakes and treatments

No fakes recorded for this mineral species.


Hardness : 2
Density : 5.56
Fracture : Irregular
Streak : Dark gray

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

Solubility : -


Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None