The mineral uytenbogaardtite, Ag3AuS2, is a soft, greyish white sulfide mineral, occurring in hydrothermal Au-Ag-quartz veins. It occurs as tiny crystals, visible only with a microscope. It has a metallic luster and a hardness on the Mohs scale of 2 (gypsum).

Uytenbogaardtite
Uytenbogaardtite, from New Bullfrog Mine, Nye County, Nevada, United States of America
General
CategorySulfide mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)
Ag3AuS2
IMA symbolUyt[1]
Strunz classification2.BA.40b
Crystal systemTrigonal
Crystal classDitrigonal pyramidal (3m)
H-M symbol: (3m)
Space groupR3c
Identification
Formula mass584.70 g/mol
ColorGreyish white
Crystal habitMicroscopic crystals
FractureIrregular
TenacityMalleable
Mohs scale hardness2
LusterMetallic
DiaphaneityOpaque
Specific gravity8.405
PleochroismWeak
References[2][3][4][5][6]

It forms, together with petzite (Ag3AuTe2) and fischesserite (Ag3AuSe2) the uytenbogaardtite group. The type locality is Tambang Sawah, Bengkulu district, Sumatra island, Indonesia.

Common impurities in the uytenbogaardtite are copper, selenium, and tellurium.

It is named after the Dutch mineralogist Willem Uytenbogaardt (1918–2012), Professor of Geology, Technical University, Delft, The Netherlands, prominent ore microscopist.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. ^ Handbook of Mineralogy
  3. ^ Webmineral.com
  4. ^ Mindat.org
  5. ^ Barton, M. D., et al., Uytenbogaardtite a New Silver Gold Sulfide, Canadian Mineralogist, Vol. 16, pp. 651–657 (1978)
  6. ^ Mineralienatlas