Home > Metallic Minerals – September 17 > MS1442 Galkhaite
Galkhaite - Sold
- Twin Creeks mine
- Humboldt County
- Nevada
- U.S.A.
- 1.7 by 1.6 by 0.7 cm – Thumbnail specimen (fits into a 2.5 cm cube)
Galkhaite is a complex sulfosalt mineral of the tennantine group with a complex scientific history. Galkhaite was named after its co-type locality: Gal-Khaya, Russia (Grudzen et al., 1972). Originally the mineral formula was given as HgAsS2. Further study by Chen & Symański (1982) and other workers showed further chemical complexity, leading to formula (Cs,Tl,□)(Hg,Cu,Zn,Tl)6(As,Sb)4S12. Ultimately Biagioni et al. (2014) refined three more crystal structures, and justified an ideal formula of [Hg5Cu]CsAs4S12.
This is a rare galkhaite specimen from the Twin Creek mine in Nevada. Galkhaite forms cubo-octahedral crystals to 3 mm with microcrystals of stibnite. This is a different locality than the Getchell mine, also in Nevada, which has produced most galkhaite seen on the mineral market.