Luxembourgite
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About Luxembourgite
Luxembourg (city)
Formula:
AgCuPbBi4Se8
Colour:
Gray
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
3
Specific Gravity:
8.00 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Name:
Named for the city of Luxembourg, close to the locality where it was discovered (rather than the Grand Dutchy or province of Luxembourg).
Type Locality:
Isostructural with watkinsonite and litochlebite, but with Ag-Cu ordering in the crystal structure.
Crystal structure comprises:
- pseudotetragonal layer, 4-atoms thick (with Bi1, Bi2 ,Bi3, Pb, and Ag1 atoms), and
- pseudohexagonal layer, 1-atom thick
- Cu2 and Bi4 atoms between the two layers
Coordination info:
- Bi1, Bi2, and Bi3: weakly-distorted octahedral (coord. no. 6)
- Bi4: distorted 7-coordinated
- Ag1: regular octahedral
- Cu2: tetrahedral
- Pb: very distorted 8-coordinated
Found "in the vicinity of the Stolzembourg Copper Mine".
Crystal structure comprises:
- pseudotetragonal layer, 4-atoms thick (with Bi1, Bi2 ,Bi3, Pb, and Ag1 atoms), and
- pseudohexagonal layer, 1-atom thick
- Cu2 and Bi4 atoms between the two layers
Coordination info:
- Bi1, Bi2, and Bi3: weakly-distorted octahedral (coord. no. 6)
- Bi4: distorted 7-coordinated
- Ag1: regular octahedral
- Cu2: tetrahedral
- Pb: very distorted 8-coordinated
Found "in the vicinity of the Stolzembourg Copper Mine".
Classification of Luxembourgite
Physical Properties of Luxembourgite
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Gray
Streak:
Black
Hardness:
3 on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
None Observed
Density:
8.00 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Comment:
Calculated from the chemical analysis and the single-crystal unit cell parameters
Chemical Properties of Luxembourgite
Crystallography of Luxembourgite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
P21/m
Cell Parameters:
a = 13.0019(14) Å, b = 4.1543(3) Å, c = 15.312(2) Å
β = 108.917(12)°
β = 108.917(12)°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 3.13 : 1 : 3.686
Unit Cell V:
782.4 ų
Z:
2
Morphology:
Acicular.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 4.61 Å | (20) |
| 3.59 Å | (20) |
| 2.984 Å | (100) |
| 2.425 Å | (20) |
| 2.085 Å | (60) |
| 1.916 Å | (20) |
| 1.355 Å | (30) |
| 1.188 Å | (30) |
Type Occurrence of Luxembourgite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Tiny fibers on dolomite crystals, reaching 200 µm in length but only 5 µm in diameter.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Type material is deposited in the mineralogical collections of the Natural History Museum of Luxembourg, Rue Münster 25, L-2560 Luxembourg, Luxembourg, catalogue number FD040, and the Laboratory of Mineralogy, Université of Liège, Batiment B18, Sart Tilman, B-4000 Liège, Belgium, catalogue number 21302.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Hydrothermal veins in red schists
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Reference:
Philippo, S., Hatert, F., Bruni, Y., Vignola, P., Sejkora, J. (2020) Luxembourgite, AgCuPbBi4Se8, a new mineral species from Bivels, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. European Journal of Mineralogy: 32: 449-455.
Synonyms of Luxembourgite
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.
References for Luxembourgite
Reference List:
Sort by Year (asc) | by Year (desc) | by Author (A-Z) | by Author (Z-A)
Philippo, S., Hatert, F., Bruni, Y. and Vignola, P. (2019) Luxembourgite, IMA 2018-154. CNMNC Newsletter No. 49, June 2019, page xxx. Mineralogical Magazine: 83: 323–328.
Philippo, S., Hatert, F., Bruni, Y., Vignola, P., Sejkora, J. (2020) Luxembourgite, AgCuPbBi4Se8, a new mineral species from Bivels, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. European Journal of Mineralogy: 32: 449-455. [Open access, https://doi.org/10.5194/ejm-32-449-2020]
Internet Links for Luxembourgite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-53538.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
Localities for Luxembourgite
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for 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.
Bolivia | |
| Philippo, S., Hatert, F., Bruni, Y. & Vignola, P. (2019) Luxembourgite, IMA 2018-154. CNMNC Newsletter No. 49, June 2019, page xxx; Mineralogical Magazine 83, 323–328. Grundmann, G. & Förster, H.-J. (2017) Origin of the El Dragón selenium mineralization, Quijarro province, Potosí, Bolivia. Minerals 7, No. 68. |
Luxembourg (TL) | |
| Philippo, S., Hatert, F., Bruni, Y., Vignola, P., Sejkora, J. (2020) Luxembourgite, AgCuPbBi4Se8, a new mineral species from Bivels, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. European Journal of Mineralogy: 32: 449-455.; Philippo, S., Hatert, F., Bruni, Y. and Vignola, P. (2019) Luxembourgite, IMA 2018-154. CNMNC Newsletter No. 49, June 2019, page xxx. Mineralogical Magazine: 83: 323–328. |
Bivels, Putscheid, Canton Vianden, Luxembourg