Home > Silver and Gold Minerals – January 7 > MS1470 Sylvanite

Sylvanite - Sold


Sylvanite is a telluride of gold and silver. Crystal structure analysis by Pertlik (1984) confirmed monoclinic symmetry and showed that both gold and silver are essential constituents. Although known since the late 18th century, Louis-Albert Necker de Saussure (1786-1861) proposed the currently accepted name sylvanite in his 1835 Le Règne Minérale. The name refers to the region of the type locality, Transylvania. The discovery of sylvanite predated the characterization of the element tellurium; for a time both sylvanite and native tellurium (which also occurs in the same Transylvanian mines) were considered identical. It was Klaproth (1802) who distinguished tellurium from sylvanite which he called Schrifterz (i.e. graphic ore).

This is a rich ore sample from from Cripple Creek, consisting of open vein section with rich crystal sections of sylvanite to 6 mm. In this specimen the mineralized vein has some relief from the rock surface, and is perhaps 5 mm thick on average. In places drusy quartz is covering euhedral sylvanite. An American classic.