Bulletin Mineralogie Petrologie

Rare argentopyrite was found in the Bohutín deposit of the Březové Hory ore district (central Bohemia, Czech Republic). It was found on two archive specimens and forms up to 2 mm large globular aggregates consisting of very small prismatic crystals. Original colour is bronze-brown but it very fast tarnished black.  Apart from main elements Ag, Fe and S, it contains minor Cu (up to 0.019 apfu) and Sb (up to 0.022 apfu). Its empirical formula (37 analyses) on the basis of 6 apfu corresponding to (Ag_0.99Cu_0.01)_Σ1.00Fe_1.95S_3.04. Its refined PXRD unit-cell parameters for the monoclinic space group P112₁/n are: a 6.693(1), b 11.459(2), c 6.454(1) Å, γ 90.24(1)°, V 494.9(1) ų. Crystals of the phases of proustite - pyrargyrite solid solution up to 2 mm are the most abundant Ag-minerals on studied samples. Proustite forms cores of these mixed crystals, younger pyrargyrite forms their rims. Colour is light cherry red, lighter than the colour typical for pyrargyrite from Příbram. Galena, pyrite, sphalerite and stephanite are the other associated minerals.

Balada J (1988) Polymetalické zrudnění žíly H32A na š. č. 16 UD Příbram. Studie z dějin hornictví. 95-118

Burnham Ch W (1962) Lattice constant refinement. Carnegie Inst Washington Year Book 61: 132-135

Leitl M, Pfitzner A, Bindi L (2009) Preferred ion diffusion pathways and activation energies for Ag in the crystal structure of stephanite, Ag₅SbS₄. Mineral Mag 73(1): 17-26

Litochleb J, Šrein V (1994) Minerály stříbra příbramského uranového ložiska. Bull mineral-petrolog Odd Nár Muz (Praha) 2: 76-81

Ondruš P (1993) ZDS - A computer program for analysis of X-ray powder diffraction patterns. Materials Science Forum, 133-136, 297-300, EPDIC-2. Enchede

Ondruš P, Veselovský F, Gabašová A, Hloušek J, Šrein V, Vavřín I, Skála R, Sejkora J, Drábek M (2003) Primary minerals of the Jáchymov ore district. J Czech Geol Soc 48(3-4): 19-147

Pouchou JL, Pichoir F (1985) “PAP” (φρZ) procedure for improved quantitative microanalysis. In: Microbeam Analysis (J. T. Armstrong, ed.). San Francisco Press, San Francisco, 104-106

Ribár B, Nowacki W (1970) Die Kristallstruktur von Stephanit,[SbS₃|S|Ag₅^III]. Acta Cryst B26(3): 201-207

Scharmová M et al. (1987) Studium vybraných vzorků stříbrné mineralizace. MS VVÚ ČSUP (Diamo). Stráž pod Ralskem

Šrein V, Řídkošil T, Kašpar P, Šourek J (1986) Argentopyrite and sternbergite from polymetallic veins of the skarn deposit Medenec, Krušné hory Mts., Czechoslovakia. N Jb Mineral, Abh 154, 207-222 

Škácha P, Sejkora J, Litochlebová E, Litochleb J (2007) Sternbergit v asociaci s Ag-sulfidy, ložisko Březové hory, Příbram. Bull mineral-petrolog Odd Nár Muz (Praha) 13: 207-210

Yang H, Pinch WW, Downs RT (2009) Crystal structure of argentopyrite, AgFe₂S₃, and its relationship with cubanite. Am Mineral 94: 1727-1730

Yvon K, Jeitschko W, Parthé E (1977) Lazy Pulverix, a computer program for calculation X-ray and neutron diffraction powder patterns. J Appl Cryst 10: 73-74