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Stephanite

Year of discovery: 1845 (Freiberg district, Germany), 1889 (Japan)

Locality list: 29 localities of stephanite

• Ag₅SbS₄
• [Ag⁺₅][Sb³⁺][S₄]^8-

• Class: Stephanite group < Ag sulfosalts < Sulfosalt class
• Class: Sulfosalt
• Insoluble in: HCl

• S => Se: Selenostephanite

• Color: Light gray, Black
• Streak: Black
• Luster: Metallic
• Diaphaneity: Opaque

• Habit: Short prismatic, Tabular elongated to [001], Pseudohexagonal
• Striation: [1-14] on {110}
• Twin: {110},{130},{100},{010}

• Cleavage: Imperfect on {010} (1 plane), Poor on {021} (2 planes)
• Hardness: 2-2.5
• Density: 6.3

• System: Orthorhombic
• Group: mm2, Cmc2₁
• Lattice: a=7.8, b=12.5, c=8.5

Etymology: Archduke Victor Stephan (1817-1867), Austrian mining director