The problem with the two common copper sulfosalt minerals, tetrahedrite, and tennantite, is their chemistry. Chemically, they are both copper iron sulfides. They are the more common black copper species, and it’s important we treat them separately from the other dark copper species.
Tetrahedrite and tennantite use the same elements: copper, iron, zinc, and sulfur to develop molecules on an internal structure. But they differ by incorporating either arsenic or antimony in their chemistry. Each of these metal elements can fit into the atomic structure of either or both these minerals as part of the chemistry of these two sulfides.
Theoretically, pure tetrahedrite contains only antimony, while pure tennantite contains only arsenic. To make matters confusing, arsenic and antimony substitute for each other in varying amounts because their electron structure and atom size closely match. In fact, both elements occur in the two species, with one dominating, deciding if the specimen is tennantite or tetrahedrite. To further cause confusion, iron and copper can also substitute for each other, so either can be the dominant metal cation determining the species. As if that is not confusing enough, other metal elements also get into the act including silver, zinc, and mercury in trace amounts — no wonder these two copper species are so daunting.
Denne historien er fra July 2021-utgaven av Rock&Gem Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 2021-utgaven av Rock&Gem Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Rockhounding Ohio's Lake Erie Islands
A short ferry boat ride three miles from Ohio’s Lake Erie coastline is South Bass Island, better known as Put-in-Bay or the “Key West of the North.”
Iowa's Hidden Treasures
Exploring Keokuk Geodes: How They're Made & What's Inside
Agatized CORAL
Florida's Collectible State Stone
Rockhounding Florida's Beaches
Beachcombing serene stretches of Florida can reveal fascinating finds like fossilized shark teeth, sea glass, quartz, agate and even coral fragments.
Collecting Staurolite
Hot Spots In Virginia & Georgia
Pecos Valley Diamonds
New Mexico's Ancient Attraction
12 Tips for Rockhounding Tucson's Greatest Shows
Tucson in February becomes the international hub for buying and selling colored gems, rocks, minerals and fossils.
Turquoise in the American Southwest
A Water & Sky Souvenir
Touring Colorado's MINERAL BELT
It's a Showcase of Mining History & Minerals
Geology &Colorado's Taurish Traiks
Most of Colorado’s tourist trains today were originally constructed in the late 1800s to serve the state’s lucrative mining operations.