WALLISITE

    Class : Sulfides and sulfosalts
    Subclass : Sulfosalts
    Crystal system : Triclinic
    Chemistry : PbTl(Cu,Ag)As2S5
    Rarity : Very rare


Wallisite is a very rare sulfoarsenide of lead and thallium of hydrothermal origin. It is associated with pyrite, rathite and dufreynoysite. Its name comes from its region of discovery : the Swiss Valais (Wallis). Wallisite forms masses or small crystals not exceeding one millimeter in size within hydrothermalized dolomite. Metallic and dark gray in color, wallisite is very difficult to distinguish from other lead sulfoarsenides without advanced analytical means.

Main photo : Wallisite from Lengenbach Quarry, Binn Valley, Valais, Switzerland © Matthias Reinhardt

Wallisite in the World

Wallisite is known only in the hydrothermalized dolomites of Lengenbach near Binn (Valais, Switzerland).

Wallisite in France

Wallisite is not present in the French underground.

Twinning

No twinning known for this mineral species.

Fakes and treatments

No fakes listed for this mineral species.



Hardness : Undetermined
Density : 5.71
Fracture : Undetermined
Streak : Undetermined


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


Solubility : -

Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None