RENIERITE

    Class : Sulfides and sulfosalts
    Subclass : Sulfides
    Crystal system : Tetragonal
    Chemistry : (Cu,Zn)11(Ge,As)2Fe4S16
    Rarity : Rare

Renierite is a complex germanium sulfide. Although rare, it is the most common of the germanium minerals, often accepting some zinc and gallium in its crystal lattice. It was named after the Belgian geologist Armand Marie Vincent Joseph Renier, Director of the Geological Survey of Belgium. Renierite generally occurs as microscopic grains disseminated in other sulfides, of a size at most millimeter, or in masses in germanium-rich deposits where it can form free crystals up to 3 mm. It is an important ore of germanium.

Main photo : Renierite from Kipushi Mine, Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo © Jean-François Carpentier

Renierite in the World

Renierite is known at Kipushi in Congolese Katanga as well as at Tsumeb (Namibia). These two polymetallic deposits are the only deposits in the world where renierite exists in relative abundance, associated with tennantite, chalcopyrite, bornite, galena and enargite. Apart from these two deposits, renierite is reported at Urup and Arkhangelsk (Russia), Chelopech (Bulgaria) and M'Passa (Congo).

Right photo : Renierite from Kipushi Mine, Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo © Alex Earl


Renierite in France

In France, renierite is reported at Bancaïroun (Alpes-Maritimes)

Twinning

No known twinning for this mineral species.

Fakes and treatments

No fakes listed for this mineral species.


Hardness : 4 to 5
Density : 4.0
Fracture : Undeterminated
Streak : Black

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

Solubility : Acids

Magnetism : ParamagneticRadioactivity : None