Petzite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Petzite
Formula:
Ag3AuTe2
Colour:
Lead-gray to black
Lustre:
Metallic, Sub-Metallic
Hardness:
2½ - 3
Specific Gravity:
8.7 - 9.4
Crystal System:
Isometric
Name:
Named in 1845 by Wilhelm Karl von Haidinger in honor of Karl Wilhelm Petz [1811-1873], a Hungarian pharmacist, chemist and mineral collector.
Type Locality:
This page provides mineralogical data about Petzite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3180
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3180:2
Similar Names
| Betzite | A valid IMA mineral species | Na6Ca2(Al6Si6O24)Cl4 |
| Pittizite (of Beudant) | A synonym of 'Glockerite' | |
| Pottsite | A valid IMA mineral species | (Pb3xBi4-2x)(VO4)4 · H2O (0.8 < x < 1.0) |
| Putzite | A valid IMA mineral species | (Cu4.7Ag3.3)GeS6 |
IMA Classification of Petzite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
Ag1+3Au1+Te2-2
Classification of Petzite
2.BA.75
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
B : Metal Sulfides, M: S > 1: 1 (mainly 2: 1)
A : With Cu, Ag, Au
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
B : Metal Sulfides, M: S > 1: 1 (mainly 2: 1)
A : With Cu, Ag, Au
2.4.3.3
2 : SULFIDES
4 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 2:1
2 : SULFIDES
4 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 2:1
3.3.7
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
3 : Sulphides etc. of Au
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
3 : Sulphides etc. of Au
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMAโCNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Ptz | IMAโCNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMAโCNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Pronunciation of Petzite
Pronunciation:
| Play | Recorded by | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Jolyon Ralph | United Kingdom |
Physical Properties of Petzite
Metallic, Sub-Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Lead-gray to black
Comment:
Commonly tarnished from bronze-yellow to sooty black; sometimes iridescent.
Hardness:
2½ - 3 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN10=48 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Poor/Indistinct
on {001}
on {001}
Fracture:
Sub-Conchoidal
Density:
8.7 - 9.4 g/cm3 (Measured) 8.74 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Petzite
Anisotropism:
Anisotropism is noticeable in part
Reflectivity:
| Wavelength | R1 (%) |
|---|---|
| 400nm | 45.0% |
| 420nm | 43.7% |
| 440nm | 42.4% |
| 460nm | 41.4% |
| 480nm | 40.6% |
| 500nm | 39.9% |
| 520nm | 39.3% |
| 540nm | 38.8% |
| 560nm | 38.5% |
| 580nm | 38.3% |
| 600nm | 38.2% |
| 620nm | 38.1% |
| 640nm | 38.0% |
| 660nm | 37.8% |
| 680nm | 37.8% |
| 700nm | 37.8% |
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 45.0%.
Colour in reflected light:
greyish white with a pale bluish tint. Pale gray lilac, with a light-pinkish hue (Ramdohr).
Chemistry of Petzite
Mindat Formula:
Ag3AuTe2
Elements listed:
Common Impurities:
Hg,Cu
Crystallography of Petzite
Crystal System:
Isometric
Class (H-M):
432 - Gyroidal
Space Group:
I4132
Setting:
I4132
Cell Parameters:
a = 10.385(4) Å
Unit Cell V:
1,120.00 ร
ยณ (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
8
Morphology:
Massive, fine granular to compact and as irregular shaped blebs, to 2 mm. Distinct crystals rare.
Crystal Structure
Load
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0000087 | Petzite | Frueh A J (1959) The crystallography of petzite, Ag3AuTe2 American Mineralogist 44 693-701 |  | 1959 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 7.31 ร | (50) |
| 3.66 ร | (30) |
| 3.27 ร | (10) |
| 2.99 ร | (30) |
| 2.77 ร | (100) |
| 2.59 ร | (20) |
| 2.44 ร | (60) |
| 2.32 ร | (60) |
| 2.21 ร | (10) |
| 2.12 ร | (80) |
| 2.03 ร | (70) |
| 1.89 ร | (50) |
| 1.835 ร | (30) |
| 1.683 ร | (10) |
| 1.565 ร | (20) |
| 1.532 ร | (20) |
| 1.499 ร | (20) |
| 1.469 ร | (20) |
| 1.440 ร | (20) |
| 1.403 ร | (30) |
| 1.316 ร | (50) |
| 1.296 ร | (30) |
| 1.276 ร | (30) |
| 1.205 ร | (30) |
| 1.175 ร | (30) |
| 1.146 ร | (10) |
| 1.132 ร | (20) |
| 1.119 ร | (20) |
| 1.106 ร | (20) |
| 1.093 ร | (20) |
| 1.070 ร | (30) |
| 1.048 ร | (20) |
| 1.008 ร | (10) |
| 0.990 ร | (40) |
Comments:
Botes, Romania. ICDD 12-424. See also Red Jacket mine, Wallow Mts., Baker Co., Oregon, USA (ICDD 00-044-1420).
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| High-? alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12]) |
Geological Setting:
With other tellurides in vein-controlled gold deposits.
Type Occurrence of Petzite
Synonyms of Petzite
Other Language Names for Petzite
Dutch:Petziet
German:Petzit
Silvanerz (in part)
Tellursilber (in part)
Silvanerz (in part)
Tellursilber (in part)
Russian:ะะตััะธั
Simplified Chinese:็ขฒ้้ถ็ฟ
Spanish:Petzita
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 127 photos of Petzite associated with Native Gold | Au |
| 108 photos of Petzite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 50 photos of Petzite associated with Hessite | Ag2Te |
| 44 photos of Petzite associated with Pyrite | FeS2 |
| 35 photos of Petzite associated with Coloradoite | HgTe |
| 34 photos of Petzite associated with Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| 27 photos of Petzite associated with Altaite | PbTe |
| 26 photos of Petzite associated with Calcite | CaCO3 |
| 23 photos of Petzite associated with Freibergite Subgroup | (Ag6,[Ag6]4+)(Cu4 C2+2)Sb4S12S0-1 |
| 21 photos of Petzite associated with Sylvanite | AgAuTe4 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 2.BA. | Makotoite | Ag12(Cu3Au)S8 |
| 2.BA. | Alburnite | Ag8GeTe2S4 |
| 2.BA. | Dzierลผanowskite | CaCu2S2 |
| 2.BA. | Xuwenyuanite | Ag9Fe3+Te2S4 |
| 2.BA. | 'Orileyite' | (Fe,Cu)2As |
| 2.BA. | Juxingite | Bi6Cu+138Cu2+2Fe3+30S125 |
| 2.BA.05 | Djurleite | Cu31S16 |
| 2.BA.05 | Geerite | Cu8S5 |
| 2.BA.05 | Roxbyite | Cu58S32 |
| 2.BA.05 | Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| 2.BA.10 | Digenite | Cu9S5 |
| 2.BA.10 | Anilite | Cu7S4 |
| 2.BA.15 | Bornite | Cu5FeS4 |
| 2.BA.20 | Bellidoite | Cu2Se |
| 2.BA.20 | Berzelianite | Cu2-xSe (x โ 0.12) |
| 2.BA.25 | Athabascaite | Cu5Se4 |
| 2.BA.25 | Umangite | Cu3Se2 |
| 2.BA.30 | Rickardite | Cu7Te5 |
| 2.BA.30 | Weissite | Cu2-xTe |
| 2.BA.35 | Acanthite | Ag2S |
| 2.BA.35 | Spryite | Ag8(As3+0.5As5+0.5)S6 |
| 2.BA.40d | 'UM2003-13-S:AgAuCu' | Ag6AuCu2S5 |
| 2.BA.40 | Mckinstryite | Ag5-xCu3+xS4 |
| 2.BA.40 | Stromeyerite | AgCuS |
| 2.BA.42 | Honeaite | Au3TlTe2 |
| 2.BA.45 | Jalpaite | Ag3CuS2 |
| 2.BA.45 | Selenojalpaite | Ag3CuSe2 |
| 2.BA.45 | Kurilite | Ag8Te3Se |
| 2.BA.47 | Spiridonovite | (Cu1-xAgx)2Te |
| 2.BA.50 | Wuyanzhiite | Cu2S |
| 2.BA.50 | Eucairite | AgCuSe |
| 2.BA.52 | 'Argentite' | Ag2S |
| 2.BA.55 | Naumannite | Ag2Se |
| 2.BA.55 | Aguilarite | Ag4SeS |
| 2.BA.60 | Chenguodaite | Ag9Fe3+Te2S4 |
| 2.BA.60 | Hessite | Ag2Te |
| 2.BA.60 | Cervelleite | Ag4TeS |
| 2.BA.65 | Henryite | (Cu,Ag)3+xTe2 , with x ~ 0.40 |
| 2.BA.65 | Stรผtzite | Ag5-xTe3, x = 0.24-0.36 |
| 2.BA.70 | Argyrodite | Ag8GeS6 |
| 2.BA.70 | Putzite | (Cu4.7Ag3.3)GeS6 |
| 2.BA.70 | Canfieldite | Ag8SnS6 |
| 2.BA.75 | Fischesserite | Ag3AuSe2 |
| 2.BA.75 | Uytenbogaardtite | Ag3AuS2 |
| 2.BA.75 | Penzhinite | (Ag,Cu)4Au(S,Se)4 |
| 2.BA.75 | Petrovskaite | AuAgS |
| 2.BA.80 | Bezsmertnovite | (Au,Ag)4Cu(Te,Pb) |
| 2.BA.80 | Bilibinskite | PbCu2Au3Te2 |
| 2.BA.80 | Bogdanovite | (Au,Te,Pb)3(Cu,Fe) |
Fluorescence of Petzite
Not fluorescent in UV
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Petzite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3180.html
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References for Petzite
Reference List:
Frueh, Alfred J. (1959) The crystallography of petzite, Ag3AuTe2. American Mineralogist, 44 (7-8). 693-701
Cabri, Louis J. (1965) Phase relations in the Au-Ag-Te systems and their mineralogical significance. Economic Geology, 60 (8) 1569-1606 doi:10.2113/gsecongeo.60.8.1569
Hongu, Hidetomo, Yoshiasa, Akira, Nespolo, Massimo, Tobase, Tsubasa, Tokuda, Makoto, Sugiyama, Kazumasa (2019) Crystal structure and XANES investigation of petzite, Ag3AuTe2. Acta Crystallographica Section B Structural Science, Crystal Engineering and Materials, 75 (2). 273-278 doi:10.1107/s2052520619002166
Localities for Petzite
Showing 617 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
โ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
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Bald Mountain, Sonora, Sonora Mining District, East Belt, Tuolumne County, California, USA