Aikinite - Encyclopedia
Class : Sulfides and sulfosalts
Subclass : Sulfosalts
Crystal System : Orthorhombic
Chemistry : PbCuBiS3
Rarity : Uncommon
Aikinite is an infrequent sulphide of Pb-Bi-Cu hydrothermal veins and gold-bearing veins, which is lead gray to steel gray in color. It was named in honor of Arthur Aikin. It forms fluted acicular crystals or rods embedded in quartz, reaching 3 cm, sometimes grouped in radiating aggregates. More rarely, aikinite forms compact masses where it mixes with other sulphides and sulphosalts (galena, chalcopyrite, enargite, etc...). It is an accessory ore of bismuth. Photo © Christopher O’Neill
Aikinite in the World
Twinning
No known twin for this mineral species.
Fakes and treatments
No fake reported for this mineral species.
Hardness : 2 to 2.5
Density : 7.07
Fracture : Irregular
Trace : Grey-black
TP : Opaque
RI : Not measurable
Birefringence : Not measurable
Optical character : Not measurable
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : Nitric acid
Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None