This article has been prepared for the Mindat Best Minerals project. The aim of this project is to present information on important localities and specimens for each mineral specie. As new finds are made and new knowledge is made available the individual articles will be revised to include this information. Readers are encouraged to contribute by posting a response in this thread. All revisions will be stored, thus ensuring traceability and availability of previously included information. A complete list of articles can be found in the list of finished Best Minerals articles. To cite this version: Currier, R. (ed,) (2009) Arsenic. revision 1.0. Mindat Best Minerals Project, article "mesg-66-139149". Please be advised that the photos cannot be used without the consent of the copyright holder
Arsenic
A native element and is toxic. The first industrial use of Arsenic may have been to alloy it with bronze to give the metal more strength, like for cannon barrels. Arsenic occurs at many (290 currently listed on Mindat, but even the best specimens will not draw the attention of anyone but the knowledgeable collector. They are usually a dull gray or black and usually mammillary or botryoidal. The best crystallized specimens I have seen are from Jáchymov, Bohemia, Czech Republic.
On a fresh surface Arsenic is bright metallic, quickly tarnishing black. Antimony remains a bright tin white. Above 300 C Arsenic and antimony form a complete solutiuon series, but below that Stibarsen (AsSb) precipitates out. The stibarsen like the antimony is tin white. So when Antomony predominates you get tin white with tin white and you don't see the stibarsen. But when Arsenic dominates, you get attractive black arsenic with white Atibarsen. It might be mentioned that Arsenolamprite is unstable and reverts to Arsenic. There are prismatic Arsenic xls thar are pseudos after Arsenolamprite.
Arsenic,
Canada,
British Columbia, Nanaimo Mining Division, Vancouver Island, Comox District, Mt Washington mine
Arsenic,
Canada,
British Colombia, Skeena Mining Division, Queen Charlotte Islands, Alder Island
It occurs as fine specimens on Alder Island…”1 Here arsenic occured as large reniform masses but no crystals were found.2
1. Encyclopedia of Minerals, Roberts, Campbell, Rapp, Second Edition, 1990, p 45. 2. Email, Rob Woodside, 2009.
We need someone to tell us about these arsenic specimens and the locality.
Arsenic,
Canada,
British Colombia, Atlin Mining Division, Tagish Lake, Engineer Mine
Botryoidal Arsenic with Stibarsen and rarities came from the Engineer Mine, Atlin B.C. and grotti Arsenic came from Savona, B.C. I might be able to dig up some pictures. The Engineer material rates with some stuff posted here, but the Savona material, while intersting large lumps, is not the greatest. As a kid I found flecks of Native Arsenic, behind St Joseph's Oratory, on Mount Royal in Montreal. Montreal is a Dana Locality!!!
Arsenic,
Canada,
Ontario, Thunder Bay District, Lake Superior, Edward Island, Cross Property
Arsenic,
Czech Republic,
Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Central Bohemia Region, Kladno, Ronna Mine
Arsenic,
Czech Republic,
Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Central Bohemia Region, Příbram, Březové Hory (Birkenberg)
Antimony and Stibarsen remain tin white while Arsenic quickly turns black. The photos from Brezovi Hori, Czech Republic show this well. The M Kampf photo (#8) shows the black mamillary Arsenic containing tin white layers of Stibarsen. (Below 300 C Sb is insoluble in As and the Sb sweats out as Stibarsen. Stibarsen is a little greyer than Antimony). The Jakub Jurasec photo (#7) is tin white and shows only Stibarsen or Antimony. Some localities, I don't know if this is one, produce all three minerals. Looking at the back of Jakub's specimen would tell the tale. If it is like M. Kampf's piece, it is stibarsen; but if it is all tin white, then it is either Antimony or Stibarsen and analysis is required. When analysed things like Paradocrasite etc. often show up. It is often worth checking Stibarsen pieces for these rarities, if you like having invisible species in your collection. Perhaps Jakub could comment.
Arsenic,
Czech Republic,
Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Karlovy Vary Region, Krušné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge), Ostrov, Jáchymov (St Joachimsthal)
Besides the nice botryoidal specimens pictured directly above, the locality produces well crystallized but rarely obtainable arsenic specimens. Two small well crystallized arsenic specimens are pictured as the lead in on this article at its top. These small specimens in the British Museum of Natural History show well developed flat crystals that are better than the ones from Japan. They are very uncommon. I have never seen one for sale. I would dearly love to own one of these elegant little specimens. I know no private collector who owns one. Value? $1000+.
Arsenic,
Czech Republic,
Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Karlovy Vary Region, Krušné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge), Ostrov, Jáchymov (St Joachimsthal), Svornost Mine (Einigkeit Mine)
Arsenic,
France,
Alsace, Haut-Rhin, Ste Marie-aux-Mines (Markirch)
In the Saint-Guillaume vein Arsenic is common in small masses up to several hundred grams, especially in the Glück-Auf mine. In the Saint-Jacques vein, huge quantities of Arsenic where found and extracted from 1936 until 1940. The Gabe Gottes mine is probably the only in the area that was never exploited specifically for Arsenic. During reexplorations of the mine in the 1980’s, several hundred kilogram of Arsenic where found, some masses weighing more than 30 kg. Nearly all the museums in the world possess at least one specimen of Arsenic from the Gabe Gottes mine which since 2001 is a tourist attraction and can be visited during the summer months.
From the observation of the many specimens from the mines at Ste Marie-aux-Mines, three types of arsenic specimens can be described.
1. Arsenic in concretions and amorphous masses.
This is the most common type and was encountered in nearly all the veins of the Neuenberg district. These masses rarely have smooth surfaces because of micro Arsenic crystals growing on their surfaces. These specimens can reach 20 cm in diameter. On broken surfaces, one can often see layered growth with variations in the size of the crystals composing each layer. The arsenic is often in microscopic grains grading to larger millimetric crystals near the surface. The layers are sometimes separated by small veins of Skutterudite, Rammelsbergite, Lautite and sometimes by native Bismuth. It is in this type of Arsenic that the worlds best Lautite specimens where found, crystals reaching more than 3 cm.
2. Bacillary Arsenic.
This is perhaps the strangest type of Arsenic found in the district and shows 1 to 3 cm long and 1 to 5 mm thick Arsenic embedded in Calcite. According to Lacroix, this type, only known from Sainte Marie-aux-Mines, could be a kind of association like Quartz-Feldspar in graphic pegmatite. On polished section, one can see that the Calcite, who formed like lathlike structures, is composed by micro crystals. The gaps between the Calcite has been filled up with microcrystalline Arsenic. By this procedure, a partial replacement of the Calcite has taken place.
3. Arsenic in monocrystals.
A few crystals where found, after dissolving the calcite matrix. These can reach 2 cm diameter. The crystals are very rich with terminal faces, but due to the instant oxidation of the surface of the crystals, no measurements could be made. The crystals seems to have a different form than the few known natural and artificial crystals. They show a pronounced prism terminated by 4 or 6 faces. Some crystals are naturally bent like some Stibnite crystals, sometimes in an angle reaching 40°. Smaller crystals exists and cluster often together to form stalactites or little round crystal masses.
Ref : Minéralogie des filons du Neuenberg à Sainte Marie-aux-Mines par Hubert Bari, 1982.
Arsenic,
Germany,
Baden-Württemberg, Black Forest, Münstertal, Belchen Mt., Knappengrund Mine, Kaltwasser vein
In the Black Forest native arsenic is quite rare at most localities, due to the lack of bigger veins of the Bismuth-Silver-Nickel-Cobalt-Uranium-Formation (most arsenic localities in Saxony). And at Wittichen, where this formation is frequent, arsenic is only very rare. There most arsenic is either precipitated as cobalt arsenides and secondary arsenates (mixite, arseniosiderite, erythrite, atelestite, heinrichite, zeunerite etc.)
At Clara Mine only small inclusions have been found, whereas at Michael Mine, Weiler, Reichenbach, Lahr, Black Forest small aggregates of arsenic and grey inclusions in chert and baryte are quite common. It is a uncommon mineralization, consisting of arsenic, galena and sphalerite, together with realgar.
The biggest aggregates stem from the southern Black Forest: At Wieden (Tannenboden and Anton Mines), Gottesehre Mine, St. Blasien and Münstertal (Giftgrube and Schindler Vein (Teufelsgrund Mine)), native arsenic has been found as massive aggregates and botryoidal crusts. Also layered ball-shaped aggregates or rounded crusts are common. At Wieden and Gottesehre Mine (both fluorite veins with baryte, sphalerite and galena) only local nests (one at Gottesehre Mine, two at Wieden) occurred, bearing native arsenic, baryte, calcite, proustite xls, some other silver minerals (silver, at Wieden silver sulphides like xanthoconite, argentopyrite, acanthite etc.), kaolinite, schultenite.
At Münstertal arsenic is mostly restricted to the Schindler Vein, especially Giftgrube and Teufelsgrund Mines. Arsenic there is associated with dolomite (often ferroan, often called ankerite), Siderite, Fluorite, as well as Galena.
Arsenic,
Germany,
Hesse, Odenwald, Nieder-Ramstadt, Nieder-Beerbach, Glasberg quarry
Arsenic,
Germany,
Lower Saxony, Harz Mts, St Andreasberg District
Botryoidal to ball-shaped aggregates of native arsenic together with calcite. Often pyrargyrite xls are grown on the balls.1 The Samson Mine, Andreasberg produced reniform masses with Antimony and Stibarsen. On a fresh surface Arsenic is bright metallic, quickly tarnishing black. Antimony remains a bright tin white. Above 300 C Arsenic and antimony form a complete solutiuon series, but below that Stibarsen (AsSb) precipitates out. The stibarsen like the antimony is tin white. So when Antomony predominates you get tin white with tin white and you don't see the stibarsen. But when Arsenic dominates, you get attractive black arsenic with white stibarsen. Quite alot of this material, often with a polished face came out in the 60's.
1. Email Sebastian Möller 2009
Arsenic,
Germany,
Saxony, Erzgebirge, Freiberg District, Freiberg
Arsenic,
Germany,
Saxony, Erzgebirge, Freiberg District, Freiberg, Marienberg District, Vater Abraham Mine ("Shaft 139"; Shaft 152)
Marienberg (especially the Amandus Flacher Vein at the Vater Abraham Mine) has delivered native arsenic with fluorite and baryte and silver minerals (typically proustite and silver).
Arsenic,
Germany,
Saxony, Erzgebirge, Schlema-Hartenstein District, Schlema
At Schlema massive arsenic and botryoidal aggregates are fairly common. Calcite, Löllingite, silver minerals (proustite, xanthoconite, native silver) are common associates. Native silver in dendritic aggregates up to 20 cm (!) within massive arsenic is quite common there, as well at Pöhla Uranium mine, Luchsbach Valley, Pöhla, Saxony. The best finds occurred just before and after the end of the German Democratic Republic (DDR) in 1990 (German Reunion 3.10.1990, but the revolution in eastern Germany occurred in Nov. 1989). The finds were in 1990 and 91, when the mines were closed. At Schlema trigonal xls up to several mm (I've seen one up to 1 cm) have been found.
Another typical locality in Saxony is Annaberg-Buchholz, Erzgebirge. Most of the arsenic there occurred at Frohnau, typical localities are Galiläische Wirtschaft Mine and Frisch Glück Mine. Botryoidal arsenic, often with a intense layering (in Germany called "Scherbenkobalt" are common, either alone (old pieces, often with arsenolite), or associated with proustite and cobalt arsenides (Safflorite).
The Arsenic specimen in photo (#30) is probably Arsenic, however, it may be an example of a pseudomorph after Arsenolamprite, the orthorhombic allotrope of Arsenic. The xls look prismatic and this is indicative. If they are long trigonal rhombohedra then they formed as Arsenic. However if they have a rectangular cross section, then they formed as Arsenolamprite and later pseudomorphed to Arsenic. I can't tell from the photo. Perhaps Thomas could comment.
Arsenic,
Germany,
Saxony, Erzgebirge, Schneeberg District
Schneeberg is a classic locality, most samples today are from the Uranium mines northeast of Schneeberg, around the town of Schlema.
Arsenic,
Greece,
Attikí (Attica; Attika) Prefecture, Lavrion (Laurion; Laurium) District, Lavrion District Mines, Plaka Mines, Plaka, Plaka Mine No. 80
Arsenic,
Italy,
Lombardy, Sondrio Province, Sondalo, Stabiello Alp
Arsenic,
Italy,
Piedmont, Torino Province, Canavese District, Léssolo, Cálea, Brosso Mine
Arsenic,
Japan,
Honshu Island, Chubu Region, Fukui Prefecture, Akadani mine (Akatani mine)
“Here aggregates of arsenic crystals occur together with quartz and a small amount of stibnite and realgar in clay derived from hydrothermal alteration of rhyolite. They occur in the form of globular masses or concentric radial aggregates of rhombohedra, whose polar edges alone are visible projected on the surface. Thus the aggregates look like “confetti” with diameters of 0.7 to 2 cm. Rarely aggregates of cubic form, with faces depressed at the centers are found, the external morphology of which is inferred to be caused by sub-parallel growth of rhombohedral crystals. Also rarely single crystals of rhombohedral habit of 1 cm in diameter have been reported to occur. The best specimens are exhibited in the Wada Collection. Samples are still collectable after a heavy rain washes the outcrop and exposes fresh surface.”1 The crystals occur in little balls and are not very sharp, but they are interesting. Sometimes ball like aggregates of crystals occur in matrix, but I have only seen pictures of these. When available you should be able to get one of the little balls for less than $100. If you aspire to one like the one pictured it would probably cost more than $300.
1. Introduction to Japanese Minerals, Organizing Committee IMA-IAGOD Meetings, Geological Survey of Japan 1970, p141.
The word "confetti" (=chopped up paper?) in the description of the crystallized balls from Japan was actually an error for "confitte" - a type of candy composed of sharply crystallized sugar balls which, at least in shape, they do somewhat resemble. And, as usual in Asian cultures, the people who own the largest ones keep modestly quiet about them, so the max "2cm" size given in the book you quoted is certainly too low. I have a 2.5cm one myself, and there must be quite a few larger ones than that.
Arsenic,
Malaysia,
Borneo Island, Sarawak, Kuching, Bau, Kusa Mine
Arsenic,
New Zealand,
Coromandel
Usually collectors do not think of New Zealand when they think of localities for good arsenic specimens. However, fine arsenic specimens have been produced at three of the mines at Coromandel. Royal Oak mine. A “specimen, 1x2x2 inches, consists of leafy gold crystals up to ¼ inch lying on and between botryoidal crusts of arsenic.”1 From the Kapanga mine at Coromandel “…a very fine piece of native arsenic…measuring 3x4x2 inches. The arsenic occurs in a dark gray, micorcrystalline, botryoidal, banded crusts over one inch thick…”2 The above two specimens are on display at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. At the Coromandel School of Mines Museum “a single botryoidal crust of native arsenic, 3x3x2 inches from Tokatea Hill in the Coromandel area.”3
1. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 1, 1970, p113. - 2. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 1, 1970, p101. - 3. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 1, 1970, p113.
It would be nice to have pictures of these.
Arsenic,
Peru,
Ancash Department, Pallasca Province, Pasto Bueno District, Huayllapon Mine
Botryoidal specimens with clear prismatic quartz crystals growing out of them. There were not many of these. Perhaps less than 20 pieces were saved. A good specimen of this type is on display in the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. It is about 8x13 cm and has sharp quartz crystals, partially clear to about 5 cm. They paid about $500 for the specimen in the 1990s. Some of the prismatic red-black hübnerites from this locality have little one to 2 mm balls of arsenic growing on them.
Arsenic,
Romania,
Maramures Co., Baia Sprie (Felsöbánya), Baia Sprie mine (Felsöbánya mine)
Arsenic,
Romania,
Maramures Co., Baiut
Arsenic,
Romania,
Maramures Co., Cavnic (Kapnic; Kapnik), Roata Mine
Arsenic,
Sweden,
Lappland, Malå, Storliden mine
Arsenic,
Switzerland,
Wallis (Valais), Binn Valley, Im Feld (Imfeld; Feld; Fäld), Lengenbach Quarry
Arsenic,
Russia,
Eastern-Siberian Region, Taymyrskiy Autonomous Okrug, Taimyr Peninsula, Putoran Plateau, Talnakh Cu-Ni Deposit, Noril'sk, Komsomol'sky Mine
Arsenic,
Russia,
Eastern-Siberian Region, Transbaikalia (Zabaykalye), Chitinskaya Oblast', Krasnyi Chikoy, Krasnochikoyskoe deposit
The Krasnochikoiskoe deposit (Krasnochikoiskii priisk) was mined for placer gold from open pits. Native arsenic was found occasionally but is was a curiosity and had no economic value. It formed in three to four cm. masses in calcite veinlets, some of them several meters long. The Gold/Pyrite mineralization was not related to the Arsenic. The native Arsenic appeared to be found in the less pyritized rocks. It appears that the locality is now inactive. All the Arsenic specimens that I know about were collected in 1960s & 70s.
Abundant smaller specimens of Arsenic (with minor admixture of stibarsen) are found in the Bor mine in Dalnegorsk.
Arsenic,
United Kingdom,
England, Cornwall, Camborne - Redruth - St Day District, Carn Brea area, Tuckingmill, Dolcoath Mine
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Arsenic
As
Trigonal
A native element and is toxic. The first industrial use of Arsenic may have been to alloy it with bronze to give the metal more strength, like for cannon barrels. Arsenic occurs at many (290 currently listed on Mindat, but even the best specimens will not draw the attention of anyone but the knowledgeable collector. They are usually a dull gray or black and usually mammillary or botryoidal. The best crystallized specimens I have seen are from Jáchymov, Bohemia, Czech Republic.
On a fresh surface Arsenic is bright metallic, quickly tarnishing black. Antimony remains a bright tin white. Above 300 C Arsenic and antimony form a complete solutiuon series, but below that Stibarsen (AsSb) precipitates out. The stibarsen like the antimony is tin white. So when Antomony predominates you get tin white with tin white and you don't see the stibarsen. But when Arsenic dominates, you get attractive black arsenic with white Atibarsen. It might be mentioned that Arsenolamprite is unstable and reverts to Arsenic. There are prismatic Arsenic xls thar are pseudos after Arsenolamprite.
Arsenic,
Canada,
British Columbia, Nanaimo Mining Division, Vancouver Island, Comox District, Mt Washington mine
Arsenic,
Canada,
British Colombia, Skeena Mining Division, Queen Charlotte Islands, Alder Island
It occurs as fine specimens on Alder Island…”1 Here arsenic occured as large reniform masses but no crystals were found.2
1. Encyclopedia of Minerals, Roberts, Campbell, Rapp, Second Edition, 1990, p 45. 2. Email, Rob Woodside, 2009.
We need someone to tell us about these arsenic specimens and the locality.
Arsenic,
Canada,
British Colombia, Atlin Mining Division, Tagish Lake, Engineer Mine
Botryoidal Arsenic with Stibarsen and rarities came from the Engineer Mine, Atlin B.C. and grotti Arsenic came from Savona, B.C. I might be able to dig up some pictures. The Engineer material rates with some stuff posted here, but the Savona material, while intersting large lumps, is not the greatest. As a kid I found flecks of Native Arsenic, behind St Joseph's Oratory, on Mount Royal in Montreal. Montreal is a Dana Locality!!!
Arsenic,
Canada,
Ontario, Thunder Bay District, Lake Superior, Edward Island, Cross Property
Arsenic,
Czech Republic,
Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Central Bohemia Region, Kladno, Ronna Mine
Arsenic,
Czech Republic,
Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Central Bohemia Region, Příbram, Březové Hory (Birkenberg)
Antimony and Stibarsen remain tin white while Arsenic quickly turns black. The photos from Brezovi Hori, Czech Republic show this well. The M Kampf photo (#8) shows the black mamillary Arsenic containing tin white layers of Stibarsen. (Below 300 C Sb is insoluble in As and the Sb sweats out as Stibarsen. Stibarsen is a little greyer than Antimony). The Jakub Jurasec photo (#7) is tin white and shows only Stibarsen or Antimony. Some localities, I don't know if this is one, produce all three minerals. Looking at the back of Jakub's specimen would tell the tale. If it is like M. Kampf's piece, it is stibarsen; but if it is all tin white, then it is either Antimony or Stibarsen and analysis is required. When analysed things like Paradocrasite etc. often show up. It is often worth checking Stibarsen pieces for these rarities, if you like having invisible species in your collection. Perhaps Jakub could comment.
Arsenic,
Czech Republic,
Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Karlovy Vary Region, Krušné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge), Ostrov, Jáchymov (St Joachimsthal)
Besides the nice botryoidal specimens pictured directly above, the locality produces well crystallized but rarely obtainable arsenic specimens. Two small well crystallized arsenic specimens are pictured as the lead in on this article at its top. These small specimens in the British Museum of Natural History show well developed flat crystals that are better than the ones from Japan. They are very uncommon. I have never seen one for sale. I would dearly love to own one of these elegant little specimens. I know no private collector who owns one. Value? $1000+.
Arsenic,
Czech Republic,
Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Karlovy Vary Region, Krušné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge), Ostrov, Jáchymov (St Joachimsthal), Svornost Mine (Einigkeit Mine)
Arsenic,
France,
Alsace, Haut-Rhin, Ste Marie-aux-Mines (Markirch)
In the Saint-Guillaume vein Arsenic is common in small masses up to several hundred grams, especially in the Glück-Auf mine. In the Saint-Jacques vein, huge quantities of Arsenic where found and extracted from 1936 until 1940. The Gabe Gottes mine is probably the only in the area that was never exploited specifically for Arsenic. During reexplorations of the mine in the 1980’s, several hundred kilogram of Arsenic where found, some masses weighing more than 30 kg. Nearly all the museums in the world possess at least one specimen of Arsenic from the Gabe Gottes mine which since 2001 is a tourist attraction and can be visited during the summer months.
From the observation of the many specimens from the mines at Ste Marie-aux-Mines, three types of arsenic specimens can be described.
1. Arsenic in concretions and amorphous masses.
This is the most common type and was encountered in nearly all the veins of the Neuenberg district. These masses rarely have smooth surfaces because of micro Arsenic crystals growing on their surfaces. These specimens can reach 20 cm in diameter. On broken surfaces, one can often see layered growth with variations in the size of the crystals composing each layer. The arsenic is often in microscopic grains grading to larger millimetric crystals near the surface. The layers are sometimes separated by small veins of Skutterudite, Rammelsbergite, Lautite and sometimes by native Bismuth. It is in this type of Arsenic that the worlds best Lautite specimens where found, crystals reaching more than 3 cm.
2. Bacillary Arsenic.
This is perhaps the strangest type of Arsenic found in the district and shows 1 to 3 cm long and 1 to 5 mm thick Arsenic embedded in Calcite. According to Lacroix, this type, only known from Sainte Marie-aux-Mines, could be a kind of association like Quartz-Feldspar in graphic pegmatite. On polished section, one can see that the Calcite, who formed like lathlike structures, is composed by micro crystals. The gaps between the Calcite has been filled up with microcrystalline Arsenic. By this procedure, a partial replacement of the Calcite has taken place.
3. Arsenic in monocrystals.
A few crystals where found, after dissolving the calcite matrix. These can reach 2 cm diameter. The crystals are very rich with terminal faces, but due to the instant oxidation of the surface of the crystals, no measurements could be made. The crystals seems to have a different form than the few known natural and artificial crystals. They show a pronounced prism terminated by 4 or 6 faces. Some crystals are naturally bent like some Stibnite crystals, sometimes in an angle reaching 40°. Smaller crystals exists and cluster often together to form stalactites or little round crystal masses.
Ref : Minéralogie des filons du Neuenberg à Sainte Marie-aux-Mines par Hubert Bari, 1982.
Arsenic,
Germany,
Baden-Württemberg, Black Forest, Münstertal, Belchen Mt., Knappengrund Mine, Kaltwasser vein
In the Black Forest native arsenic is quite rare at most localities, due to the lack of bigger veins of the Bismuth-Silver-Nickel-Cobalt-Uranium-Formation (most arsenic localities in Saxony). And at Wittichen, where this formation is frequent, arsenic is only very rare. There most arsenic is either precipitated as cobalt arsenides and secondary arsenates (mixite, arseniosiderite, erythrite, atelestite, heinrichite, zeunerite etc.)
At Clara Mine only small inclusions have been found, whereas at Michael Mine, Weiler, Reichenbach, Lahr, Black Forest small aggregates of arsenic and grey inclusions in chert and baryte are quite common. It is a uncommon mineralization, consisting of arsenic, galena and sphalerite, together with realgar.
The biggest aggregates stem from the southern Black Forest: At Wieden (Tannenboden and Anton Mines), Gottesehre Mine, St. Blasien and Münstertal (Giftgrube and Schindler Vein (Teufelsgrund Mine)), native arsenic has been found as massive aggregates and botryoidal crusts. Also layered ball-shaped aggregates or rounded crusts are common. At Wieden and Gottesehre Mine (both fluorite veins with baryte, sphalerite and galena) only local nests (one at Gottesehre Mine, two at Wieden) occurred, bearing native arsenic, baryte, calcite, proustite xls, some other silver minerals (silver, at Wieden silver sulphides like xanthoconite, argentopyrite, acanthite etc.), kaolinite, schultenite.
At Münstertal arsenic is mostly restricted to the Schindler Vein, especially Giftgrube and Teufelsgrund Mines. Arsenic there is associated with dolomite (often ferroan, often called ankerite), Siderite, Fluorite, as well as Galena.
Arsenic,
Germany,
Hesse, Odenwald, Nieder-Ramstadt, Nieder-Beerbach, Glasberg quarry
Arsenic,
Germany,
Lower Saxony, Harz Mts, St Andreasberg District
Botryoidal to ball-shaped aggregates of native arsenic together with calcite. Often pyrargyrite xls are grown on the balls.1 The Samson Mine, Andreasberg produced reniform masses with Antimony and Stibarsen. On a fresh surface Arsenic is bright metallic, quickly tarnishing black. Antimony remains a bright tin white. Above 300 C Arsenic and antimony form a complete solutiuon series, but below that Stibarsen (AsSb) precipitates out. The stibarsen like the antimony is tin white. So when Antomony predominates you get tin white with tin white and you don't see the stibarsen. But when Arsenic dominates, you get attractive black arsenic with white stibarsen. Quite alot of this material, often with a polished face came out in the 60's.
1. Email Sebastian Möller 2009
Arsenic,
Germany,
Saxony, Erzgebirge, Freiberg District, Freiberg
Arsenic,
Germany,
Saxony, Erzgebirge, Freiberg District, Freiberg, Marienberg District, Vater Abraham Mine ("Shaft 139"; Shaft 152)
Marienberg (especially the Amandus Flacher Vein at the Vater Abraham Mine) has delivered native arsenic with fluorite and baryte and silver minerals (typically proustite and silver).
Arsenic,
Germany,
Saxony, Erzgebirge, Schlema-Hartenstein District, Schlema
At Schlema massive arsenic and botryoidal aggregates are fairly common. Calcite, Löllingite, silver minerals (proustite, xanthoconite, native silver) are common associates. Native silver in dendritic aggregates up to 20 cm (!) within massive arsenic is quite common there, as well at Pöhla Uranium mine, Luchsbach Valley, Pöhla, Saxony. The best finds occurred just before and after the end of the German Democratic Republic (DDR) in 1990 (German Reunion 3.10.1990, but the revolution in eastern Germany occurred in Nov. 1989). The finds were in 1990 and 91, when the mines were closed. At Schlema trigonal xls up to several mm (I've seen one up to 1 cm) have been found.
Another typical locality in Saxony is Annaberg-Buchholz, Erzgebirge. Most of the arsenic there occurred at Frohnau, typical localities are Galiläische Wirtschaft Mine and Frisch Glück Mine. Botryoidal arsenic, often with a intense layering (in Germany called "Scherbenkobalt" are common, either alone (old pieces, often with arsenolite), or associated with proustite and cobalt arsenides (Safflorite).
The Arsenic specimen in photo (#30) is probably Arsenic, however, it may be an example of a pseudomorph after Arsenolamprite, the orthorhombic allotrope of Arsenic. The xls look prismatic and this is indicative. If they are long trigonal rhombohedra then they formed as Arsenic. However if they have a rectangular cross section, then they formed as Arsenolamprite and later pseudomorphed to Arsenic. I can't tell from the photo. Perhaps Thomas could comment.
Arsenic,
Germany,
Saxony, Erzgebirge, Schneeberg District
Schneeberg is a classic locality, most samples today are from the Uranium mines northeast of Schneeberg, around the town of Schlema.
Arsenic,
Greece,
Attikí (Attica; Attika) Prefecture, Lavrion (Laurion; Laurium) District, Lavrion District Mines, Plaka Mines, Plaka, Plaka Mine No. 80
Arsenic,
Italy,
Lombardy, Sondrio Province, Sondalo, Stabiello Alp
Arsenic,
Italy,
Piedmont, Torino Province, Canavese District, Léssolo, Cálea, Brosso Mine
Arsenic,
Japan,
Honshu Island, Chubu Region, Fukui Prefecture, Akadani mine (Akatani mine)
“Here aggregates of arsenic crystals occur together with quartz and a small amount of stibnite and realgar in clay derived from hydrothermal alteration of rhyolite. They occur in the form of globular masses or concentric radial aggregates of rhombohedra, whose polar edges alone are visible projected on the surface. Thus the aggregates look like “confetti” with diameters of 0.7 to 2 cm. Rarely aggregates of cubic form, with faces depressed at the centers are found, the external morphology of which is inferred to be caused by sub-parallel growth of rhombohedral crystals. Also rarely single crystals of rhombohedral habit of 1 cm in diameter have been reported to occur. The best specimens are exhibited in the Wada Collection. Samples are still collectable after a heavy rain washes the outcrop and exposes fresh surface.”1 The crystals occur in little balls and are not very sharp, but they are interesting. Sometimes ball like aggregates of crystals occur in matrix, but I have only seen pictures of these. When available you should be able to get one of the little balls for less than $100. If you aspire to one like the one pictured it would probably cost more than $300.
1. Introduction to Japanese Minerals, Organizing Committee IMA-IAGOD Meetings, Geological Survey of Japan 1970, p141.
The word "confetti" (=chopped up paper?) in the description of the crystallized balls from Japan was actually an error for "confitte" - a type of candy composed of sharply crystallized sugar balls which, at least in shape, they do somewhat resemble. And, as usual in Asian cultures, the people who own the largest ones keep modestly quiet about them, so the max "2cm" size given in the book you quoted is certainly too low. I have a 2.5cm one myself, and there must be quite a few larger ones than that.
Arsenic,
Malaysia,
Borneo Island, Sarawak, Kuching, Bau, Kusa Mine
Arsenic,
New Zealand,
Coromandel
Usually collectors do not think of New Zealand when they think of localities for good arsenic specimens. However, fine arsenic specimens have been produced at three of the mines at Coromandel. Royal Oak mine. A “specimen, 1x2x2 inches, consists of leafy gold crystals up to ¼ inch lying on and between botryoidal crusts of arsenic.”1 From the Kapanga mine at Coromandel “…a very fine piece of native arsenic…measuring 3x4x2 inches. The arsenic occurs in a dark gray, micorcrystalline, botryoidal, banded crusts over one inch thick…”2 The above two specimens are on display at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. At the Coromandel School of Mines Museum “a single botryoidal crust of native arsenic, 3x3x2 inches from Tokatea Hill in the Coromandel area.”3
1. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 1, 1970, p113. - 2. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 1, 1970, p101. - 3. Mineralogical Record, Vol. 1, 1970, p113.
It would be nice to have pictures of these.
Arsenic,
Peru,
Ancash Department, Pallasca Province, Pasto Bueno District, Huayllapon Mine
Botryoidal specimens with clear prismatic quartz crystals growing out of them. There were not many of these. Perhaps less than 20 pieces were saved. A good specimen of this type is on display in the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. It is about 8x13 cm and has sharp quartz crystals, partially clear to about 5 cm. They paid about $500 for the specimen in the 1990s. Some of the prismatic red-black hübnerites from this locality have little one to 2 mm balls of arsenic growing on them.
Arsenic,
Romania,
Maramures Co., Baia Sprie (Felsöbánya), Baia Sprie mine (Felsöbánya mine)
Arsenic,
Romania,
Maramures Co., Baiut
Arsenic,
Romania,
Maramures Co., Cavnic (Kapnic; Kapnik), Roata Mine
Arsenic,
Sweden,
Lappland, Malå, Storliden mine
Arsenic,
Switzerland,
Wallis (Valais), Binn Valley, Im Feld (Imfeld; Feld; Fäld), Lengenbach Quarry
Arsenic,
Russia,
Eastern-Siberian Region, Taymyrskiy Autonomous Okrug, Taimyr Peninsula, Putoran Plateau, Talnakh Cu-Ni Deposit, Noril'sk, Komsomol'sky Mine
Arsenic,
Russia,
Eastern-Siberian Region, Transbaikalia (Zabaykalye), Chitinskaya Oblast', Krasnyi Chikoy, Krasnochikoyskoe deposit
The Krasnochikoiskoe deposit (Krasnochikoiskii priisk) was mined for placer gold from open pits. Native arsenic was found occasionally but is was a curiosity and had no economic value. It formed in three to four cm. masses in calcite veinlets, some of them several meters long. The Gold/Pyrite mineralization was not related to the Arsenic. The native Arsenic appeared to be found in the less pyritized rocks. It appears that the locality is now inactive. All the Arsenic specimens that I know about were collected in 1960s & 70s.
Abundant smaller specimens of Arsenic (with minor admixture of stibarsen) are found in the Bor mine in Dalnegorsk.
Arsenic,
United Kingdom,
England, Cornwall, Camborne - Redruth - St Day District, Carn Brea area, Tuckingmill, Dolcoath Mine
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Hi Rock and all,
You are right Peter about Arsenic from Sainte Marie-aux-Mines.
Therefore I wrote a little article on the subject.
I will also try to include the images directly to the article. I hope it works.
Here it is :
Arsenic, Sainte Marie-aux-Mines.
In the Saint-Guillaume vein, the Arsenic is common in small masses reaching several hundred gram and especially in the Glück-Auf mine.
But, in the Saint-Jacques vein, huge quantities of this mineral where found and extracted there from 1936 until 1940. The Gabe Gottes mine is probably the only mine who was ever exploited essentially for the Arsenic.
During reexplorations of the mine in the 1980’s, several hundred kilogram of Arsenic where found, including blocs weighting more than 30 kg.
Nearly all the museums in the world possess at least 1 specimen of Arsenic from the Gabe Gottes mine ( who can be visited in the summer months since 2001 )
From the observation of the many specimens, 3 types can be described.
1 ) Arsenic in concretions and amorphous masses.
This is the most common type and was encountered in nearly all the veins of the Neuenberg district.
Round masses, rarely with smooth surfaces caused by little crystals on the surface, can reach 20 cm in diameter. On the side, one can often see concentric growth with variations in the size of the crystals composing each layer. One can observe Arsenic in microscopic grains and toward the outside of the mass, millimetric crystals. The layers are sometimes separated by small veins of Skutterudite, Rammelsbergite, Lautite and sometimes by native Bismuth. It is in this type of Arsenic that the worlds best Lautite specimens where found, crystals reaching more than 3 cm.
2 ) Bacillary Arsenic.
This is perhaps the strangest type of Arsenic found thru the district and shows 1 to 3 cm long and 1 to 5 mm thick Arsenic embedded in Calcite. According to Lacroix, this type, only known from Sainte Marie-aux-Mines, could be a kind of association like Quartz-Feldspar in graphic pegmatite. On polished section, one can see that the Calcite, who formed like lathlike structures, is composed by micro crystals. The gaps between the Calcite has been filled up with microcrystalline Arsenic. By this procedure, a partial replacement of the Calcite has taken place.
3 ) Arsenic in monocrystals.
A few crystals where found, after dissolution of the matrix, reaching 2 cm. The crystals are very rich with terminal faces, but due to the instant oxidation of the surface of the crystals, no measurements could be made. The crystals seems to have a different form than the few known natural and artificial crystals. They show a pronounced prism terminated by 4 or 6 faces. Some crystals are naturally bent like some Stibnite crystals, sometimes in an angle reaching 40°.
Smaller crystals exists and cluster often together to form stalactites or little round crystal masses.
Ref : Minéralogie des filons du Neuenberg à Sainte Marie-aux-Mines par Hubert Bari, 1982.
For the moment, it is all the information I have.
I keep you informed if I have news.
Thanks.
Take care and best regards.
Paul.
You are right Peter about Arsenic from Sainte Marie-aux-Mines.
Therefore I wrote a little article on the subject.
I will also try to include the images directly to the article. I hope it works.
Here it is :
Arsenic, Sainte Marie-aux-Mines.
In the Saint-Guillaume vein, the Arsenic is common in small masses reaching several hundred gram and especially in the Glück-Auf mine.
But, in the Saint-Jacques vein, huge quantities of this mineral where found and extracted there from 1936 until 1940. The Gabe Gottes mine is probably the only mine who was ever exploited essentially for the Arsenic.
During reexplorations of the mine in the 1980’s, several hundred kilogram of Arsenic where found, including blocs weighting more than 30 kg.
Nearly all the museums in the world possess at least 1 specimen of Arsenic from the Gabe Gottes mine ( who can be visited in the summer months since 2001 )
From the observation of the many specimens, 3 types can be described.
1 ) Arsenic in concretions and amorphous masses.
This is the most common type and was encountered in nearly all the veins of the Neuenberg district.
Round masses, rarely with smooth surfaces caused by little crystals on the surface, can reach 20 cm in diameter. On the side, one can often see concentric growth with variations in the size of the crystals composing each layer. One can observe Arsenic in microscopic grains and toward the outside of the mass, millimetric crystals. The layers are sometimes separated by small veins of Skutterudite, Rammelsbergite, Lautite and sometimes by native Bismuth. It is in this type of Arsenic that the worlds best Lautite specimens where found, crystals reaching more than 3 cm.
2 ) Bacillary Arsenic.
This is perhaps the strangest type of Arsenic found thru the district and shows 1 to 3 cm long and 1 to 5 mm thick Arsenic embedded in Calcite. According to Lacroix, this type, only known from Sainte Marie-aux-Mines, could be a kind of association like Quartz-Feldspar in graphic pegmatite. On polished section, one can see that the Calcite, who formed like lathlike structures, is composed by micro crystals. The gaps between the Calcite has been filled up with microcrystalline Arsenic. By this procedure, a partial replacement of the Calcite has taken place.
3 ) Arsenic in monocrystals.
A few crystals where found, after dissolution of the matrix, reaching 2 cm. The crystals are very rich with terminal faces, but due to the instant oxidation of the surface of the crystals, no measurements could be made. The crystals seems to have a different form than the few known natural and artificial crystals. They show a pronounced prism terminated by 4 or 6 faces. Some crystals are naturally bent like some Stibnite crystals, sometimes in an angle reaching 40°.
Smaller crystals exists and cluster often together to form stalactites or little round crystal masses.
Ref : Minéralogie des filons du Neuenberg à Sainte Marie-aux-Mines par Hubert Bari, 1982.
For the moment, it is all the information I have.
I keep you informed if I have news.
Thanks.
Take care and best regards.
Paul.
Hi Rock,
I reality Rudy Tschernich is the better person to ask about the occurrence as he and Don Howard are the ones who did the work p on the material last year. The material is fine microcrystals in the chalcedony and are accompanied by realgar, pararealgar, and orpiment.
The material was chalcedony seams in weathered clay which was exposed in railroad cuts. The deposits were small, worked in the 1950s, and are no longer producing. The arsenic is fine crystaline microspheres
Here are my two poor photo I uploaded into the Trent gallery:
I reality Rudy Tschernich is the better person to ask about the occurrence as he and Don Howard are the ones who did the work p on the material last year. The material is fine microcrystals in the chalcedony and are accompanied by realgar, pararealgar, and orpiment.
The material was chalcedony seams in weathered clay which was exposed in railroad cuts. The deposits were small, worked in the 1950s, and are no longer producing. The arsenic is fine crystaline microspheres
Here are my two poor photo I uploaded into the Trent gallery:
