Spiridonov, E.M. (2003) Maikainite Cu20(Fe,Cu)6Mo2Ge6S32 and ovamboite Cu20(Fe,Cu,Zn)6W2Ge6S32: New minerals in massive sulfide base metal ores. Doklady Earth Sciences: 393A: 1329–1332.

Classification of MaikainiteHide

Strunz-mindat (2024):

2.CB.30

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
B : With Zn, Fe, Cu, Ag, etc.

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Symbol	Source	Reference
Mai	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Physical Properties of MaikainiteHide

Lustre:

Metallic

Transparency:

Opaque

Colour:

Yellow

Hardness:

4 on Mohs scale

Hardness:

VHN₃₀=275 - 345 kg/mm² - Vickers

Cleavage:

None Observed

Density:

4.453 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Optical Data of MaikainiteHide

Anisotropism:

None

Bireflectance:

None

Reflectivity:

Wavelength	R
400nm	22.3%
420nm	22.7%
440nm	23.4%
460nm	23.4%
470nm	23.7%
480nm	24.1%
500nm	24.8%
520nm	24.9%
540nm	25.4%
546nm	25.5%
560nm	25.6%
580nm	25.7%
589nm	25.7%
600nm	25.6%
620nm	25.1%
640nm	25.4%
650nm	25.6%
660nm	25.7%
680nm	25.0%
700nm	23.8%

Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Top of box is 100%. Peak reflectance is 25.7%.

Colour in reflected light:

Bright yellow to grayish white.

Internal Reflections:

None

Chemistry of MaikainiteHide

Mindat Formula:

Cu₂₀(Fe,Cu)₆Mo₂Ge₆S₃₂

Elements listed:

Cu, Fe, Ge, Mo, S - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of MaikainiteHide

Crystal System:

Isometric

Class (H-M):

m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral

Cell Parameters:

a = 10.64 Å

Unit Cell V:

1,204.55 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Comment:

P4-3n By analogy with the germanite group

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
3.07 Å	(100)
2.66 Å	(20)
1.884 Å	(80)
1.603 Å	(40)
1.220 Å	(20)
1.331 Å	(10)
1.190 Å	(10)

Comments:

Maikain Au deposit, Kazakhstan. Data from type description.

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
High-𝑇 alteration and/or metamorphism
33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12])

Type Occurrence of MaikainiteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Maikain Au deposit, Bayanaul District, Pavlodar Region, Kazakhstan

General Appearance of Type Material:

up to 45 μm oval particles and rare crystals

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

A.E. Fersman Mineralogical Museum, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, and in the Mining Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Geological Setting of Type Material:

In a gold-bearing massive-sulfide base-metal deposit.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Tennantite Subgroup	Sphalerite	Ovamboite	Germanocolusite	Germanite
Gallite	Galena	Bornite	Baryte

Reference:

Spiridonov, E.M. (2003) Maikainite Cu20(Fe,Cu)6Mo2Ge6S32 and ovamboite Cu20(Fe,Cu,Zn)6W2Ge6S32: New minerals in massive sulfide base metal ores. Doklady Earth Sciences: 393A: 1329-1332.

Download:

https://rruff.info/rruff_1.0/uploads/DES393A-1329.pdf

Synonyms of MaikainiteHide

IMA1992-038

Other Language Names for MaikainiteHide

Simplified Chinese:锗硫钼铁铜矿

Traditional Chinese:鍺硫鉬鐵銅礦

Common AssociatesHide

Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:

1 photo of Maikainite associated with Ovamboite

Cu₂₀(Fe,Cu,Zn)₆W₂Ge₆S₃₂

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

2.CB.	Agmantinite	Ag₂MnSnS₄	Orth.
2.CB.	Richardsite	Zn₂CuGaS₄	Tet. 4 2m : I4 2m
2.CB.	Gachingite	Au(Te_1-xSe_x)	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.CB.	Tolstykhite	Au₃S₄Te₆	Tric. 1 : P1
2.CB.	Hanswilkeite	KFeS₂	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
2.CB.	Auroselenide	AuSe	Mon. 2/m : B2/m
2.CB.	Ruizhongite	(Ag₂◻)Pb₃Ge₂S₈	Iso. 4 3m : I4 3d
2.CB.	Okruginite	Cu₂SnSe₃	Mon. m : Bb
2.CB.05a	Coloradoite	HgTe	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.CB.05a	Hawleyite	CdS	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.CB.05a	Metacinnabar	HgS	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.CB.05c	Polhemusite	(Zn,Hg)S	Tet.
2.CB.05b	Sakuraiite	(Cu,Zn,Fe)₃(In,Sn)S₄	Iso.
2.CB.05a	Sphalerite	ZnS	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.CB.05a	Stilleite	ZnSe	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.CB.05a	Tiemannite	HgSe	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.CB.05	UM1998-15-S:CuFeZn	Cu₂Fe₃Zn₅S₁₀
2.CB.05a	Rudashevskyite	(Fe,Zn)S	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.CB.05a	Ishiharaite	(Cu,Ga,Fe,In,Zn)S	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.CB.07a	Shenzhuangite	NiFeS₂	Tet. 4 2m : I4 2d
2.CB.07a	Unnamed (Cu-Mn-Sn Sulpide)	Cu₂MnSnS₄
2.CB.10a	Chalcopyrite	CuFeS₂	Tet. 4 2m : I4 2d
2.CB.10a	Eskebornite	CuFeSe₂	Tet. 4 2m : P4 2c
2.CB.10a	Gallite	CuGaS₂	Tet. 4 2m : I4 2d
2.CB.10b	Haycockite	Cu₄Fe₅S₈	Orth. 2 2 2
2.CB.10a	Lenaite	AgFeS₂	Tet. 4 2m : I4 2d
2.CB.10b	Mooihoekite	Cu₉Fe₉S₁₆	Tet. 4 2m : P4 2m
2.CB.10b	Putoranite	Cu_1.1Fe_1.2S₂	Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Pn3m
2.CB.10a	Roquesite	CuInS₂	Tet. 4 2m : I4 2d
2.CB.10b	Talnakhite	Cu₉(Fe,Ni)₈S₁₆	Iso. 4 3m : I4 3m
2.CB.10a	Laforêtite	AgInS₂	Tet. 4 2m : I4 2d
2.CB.10a	Unnamed (Cu-Zn-In Sulphide)	CuZn₂InS₄
2.CB.10a	UM1984-30-S:CuFeSn	Cu₂Fe₂Sn₃S₇
2.CB.10c	Omariniite	Cu₈Fe₂ZnGe₂S₁₂	Orth. 2 2 2 : I2 2 2
2.CB.15a	Černýite	Cu₂(Cd,Zn,Fe)SnS₄	Tet. 4 2m : I4 2m
2.CB.15a	Ferrokësterite	Cu₂FeSnS₄	Tet. 4 : I4
2.CB.15a	Hocartite	Ag₂(Fe²⁺,Zn)SnS₄	Tet. 4 2m : I4 2m
2.CB.15a	Idaite	Cu₅FeS₆	Hex.
2.CB.15a	Kësterite	Cu₂ZnSnS₄	Tet. 4 : I4
2.CB.15a	Kuramite	Cu₃SnS₄	Tet. 4 2m : I4 2m
2.CB.15b	Mohite	Cu₂SnS₃	Mon.
2.CB.15a	Pirquitasite	Ag₂ZnSnS₄	Tet. 4 : I4
2.CB.15a	Stannite	Cu₂FeSnS₄	Tet. 4 2m : I4 2m
2.CB.15c	Stannoidite	Cu⁺₆Cu²⁺₂(Fe²⁺,Zn)₃Sn₂S₁₂	Orth. 2 2 2 : I2 2 2
2.CB.15a	Velikite	Cu₂HgSnS₄	Tet. 4 : I4
2.CB.15c	UM2006-11-S:CuFeGeZn	Cu₈(Fe,Zn)₃Ge₂S₁₂ (?)
2.CB.17a v	Arsenic-bearing Renierite	Cu₁₁GeAsFe₄S₁₆
2.CB.20	Chatkalite	Cu₆FeSn₂S₈	Tet. 4 2m : P4m2
2.CB.20	Mawsonite	Cu₆Fe₂SnS₈	Tet. 4 2m : P4m2
2.CB.30	Argyropyrite	near Ag₂Fe₇S₁₁
2.CB.30	Colusite	Cu₁₃VAs₃S₁₆	Iso. 4 3m : P4 3n
2.CB.30	Germanite	Cu₁₃Fe₂Ge₂S₁₆	Iso. 4 3m : P4 3n
2.CB.30	Germanocolusite	Cu₂₆V₂(Ge,As)₆S₃₂	Iso. 4 3m : P4 3m
2.CB.30	Nekrasovite	Cu₂₆V₂(Sn,As,Sb)₆S₃₂	Iso. 4 3m : P4 3n
2.CB.30	Stibiocolusite	Cu₁₃V(Sb,Sn,As)₃S₁₆	Iso. 4 3m : P4 3m
2.CB.30	Ovamboite	Cu₂₀(Fe,Cu,Zn)₆W₂Ge₆S₃₂	Iso. 4 3m : P4 3n
2.CB.30	Frieseite	Ag₂Fe₅S₈ (?)
2.CB.35a	Hemusite	Cu₆SnMoS₈	Iso.
2.CB.35a	Kiddcreekite	Cu₆SnWS₈	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.CB.35a	Polkovicite	(Fe,Pb)₃(Ge,Fe)_1-xS₄	Iso.
2.CB.35a	Renierite	(Cu¹⁺,Zn)₁₁Fe₄(Ge⁴⁺,As⁵⁺)₂S₁₆	Tet. 4 2m : P4 2c
2.CB.35a	Vinciennite	Cu⁺₇Cu²⁺₃Fe²⁺₂Fe³⁺₂Sn(As,Sb)S₁₆	Tet.
2.CB.35a	Morozeviczite	(Pb,Fe)₃Ge_1-xS₄	Iso.
2.CB.35b	Catamarcaite	Cu₆GeWS₈	Hex. 6mm : P6₃mc
2.CB.40	Lautite	CuAsS	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
2.CB.42	Lingbaoite	AgTe₃	Trig. 3m : R3m
2.CB.45	Cadmoselite	CdSe	Hex. 6mm : P6₃mc
2.CB.45	Greenockite	CdS	Hex. 6mm : P6₃mc
2.CB.45	Wurtzite	(Zn,Fe)S	Hex. 6mm : P6₃mc
2.CB.45	Rambergite	MnS	Hex. 6mm : P6₃mc
2.CB.45	Buseckite	(Fe,Zn,Mn)S	Hex. 6mm : P6₃mc
2.CB.45	Maletoyvayamite	Au₃Se₄Te₆	Tric. 1 : P1
2.CB.47	Murchisite	Cr₅S₆	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3 1c
2.CB.50	Zincselenide	ZnSe
2.CB.50	Wassonite	TiS	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3m
2.CB.52	Dzhezkazganite	ReMoCu₂PbS₆ ?	Trig. 3m : R3m
2.CB.55a	Cubanite	CuFe₂S₃	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.CB.55b	Isocubanite	CuFe₂S₃	Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
2.CB.60	Picotpaulite	TlFe₂S₃	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Cmcm
2.CB.60	Raguinite	TlFeS₂	Orth.
2.CB.65	Argentopyrite	AgFe₂S₃	Mon. 2/m
2.CB.65	Sternbergite	AgFe₂S₃	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.CB.70	Sulvanite	Cu₃VS₄	Iso. 4 3m : P4 3m
2.CB.75	Vulcanite	CuTe	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.CB.80	Empressite	AgTe	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.CB.85	Muthmannite	AuAgTe₂	Mon. 2/m : P2/m

Other InformationHide

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 MaikainiteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-29014.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

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References for MaikainiteHide

Reference List:

Spiridonov, E.M. (2003) Maikainite Cu20(Fe,Cu)6Mo2Ge6S32 and ovamboite Cu20(Fe,Cu,Zn)6W2Ge6S32: New minerals in massive sulfide base metal ores. Doklady Earth Sciences: 393A: 1329–1332.

Jambor, J.L., Roberts, A.C. (2004) New mineral names. American Mineralogist, 89, 1826-1834.

Mandarino, Joseph A. (2004) New minerals. The Canadian Mineralogist, 42 (4) 1241-1260 doi:10.2113/gscanmin.42.4.1241 p.1247

Pekov, I.V. (2007) New minerals from former Soviet Union countries, 1998-2006: new minerals approved by the IMA commission on new minerals and mineral names. Mineralogical Almanac: 11: 9-51.

(2023) Maikainite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Localities for MaikainiteHide

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the

symbol to view information about a locality. The

symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Locality ListHide

- This locality has map coordinates listed.

- This locality has estimated coordinates. ⓘ - 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). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.


Kazakhstan (TL)
Pavlodar Region Bayanaul District ⓘ Maikain Au deposit (TL)	E.M. Spiridonov (2003)

Namibia
Oshikoto Region Tsumeb ⓘ Tsumeb Mine (Ongopolo Mine)	Spiridonov (2003)

Maikainite

About MaikainiteHide

Unique IdentifiersHide

IMA Classification of MaikainiteHide

Classification of MaikainiteHide

Mineral SymbolsHide

Physical Properties of MaikainiteHide

Optical Data of MaikainiteHide

Chemistry of MaikainiteHide

Crystallography of MaikainiteHide

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Geological EnvironmentHide

Type Occurrence of MaikainiteHide

Synonyms of MaikainiteHide

Other Language Names for MaikainiteHide

Common AssociatesHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

Other InformationHide

Internet Links for MaikainiteHide

References for MaikainiteHide

Localities for MaikainiteHide

Locality ListHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide