Home > Pseudomorphs – March 3 > MS1522 Tennantite after Enargite

Tennantite after Enargite - Sold


Tennantite and enargite are both sulfides of copper and arsenic. In ore deposits, sulfur rich minerals form initially, but an surface waters diffuse through amineral deposit, they cause oxidation of the metals, and sulfur, progressively re-depositing minerals with higher and higher metal to sulfur ratios.

This specimen comes from a closed gold mine in Taiwan. The deposit still has un-mined resources, and potentially could provide an economic boom for its area. This specimen consists of quartz matrix, with minor pyrite. Pseudomorphic replacements of twinned enargite crystals to 13 by 10 mm cover a vein surface. Some of the crystals have ruptured, showing a hollow interior. Some cleaved white baryte is also present. This is a good example for the locality.