Home > Silver Minerals – October 23 > MS0998 Iodargyrite

Iodargyrite - Sold


Iodargyrite is simple silver iodide; the mineral names comes from Greek words for iodine and silver. Iodargyrite has hexagonal symmetry and the wurtzite crystal structure. At Broken Hill, large concentrations of this mineral provided an excellent silver ore. Iodargyrite varies in color, from nearly colorless to rich yellow, which indicates something about its exposure to light. French chemist Vauquelin (1825) first noted the presence of iodine in silver ores, but finally Leymerie (1859) proposed the current name iodargyrite for this mineral. Iodargyrite is quite soft, almost plastic, and must be handled carefully. This specimen features a large lemon yellow mass 4 cm across, showing some crystal faces. There also a few minor chlorargyrite crystals present, as well as relict 2-3 mm red spessartine crystals.