DYSCRASITE

    Class : Sulfides and sulfosalts
    Subclass : Antimonides
    Crystal system : Orthorhombic
    Chemistry : Ag3Sb
    Rarity : Rare

Dyscrasite is a rare mineral from silver-bearing hydrothermal veins. Its name comes from the Greek duskrasia (bad mixture), in allusion to the presence of antimony in this silver ore. It occurs in prismatic, pyramidal or pseudo-octahedral crystals that can reach 5 cm. Dyscrasite is a fairly rare component of silver veins, but can still constitute an occasional silver ore.

Main photo : Dyscrasite from Bouismas Mine, Bou Azzer, Morocco © Louis Verschuren

Dyscrasite from St Andreasberg, Saxony, Germany © Allan Young
Pyramidal dyscrasite from Bouismas Mine, Bou Azzer, Morocco © Sergio Varvello
Pseudo-octahedral dyscrasite from Schneeberg, Saxony, Germany © Christophe Boutry
Twinned dyscrasite from Pribram, Czech Republic © Enrico Bonacina

Dyscrasite in the World

The most beautiful dyscrasite crystals come from Broken Hill (Australia). The German silver veins of Saxony (St-Andreasberg) and the Black Forest (Oberwolfach) produced excellent lamellar crystals reaching 2 cm. Superb 2 cm twins come from the Pribram uranium deposit (Czech Republic). It was exploited as silver ore in Hiendelaencina (Spain), in Germany and in Chañarcillo (Chile).

Dyscrasite in France

In France, dyscrasitis is reported at Mine des Chalanches (Isère), Crozet (Loire), St-Jean-de-Maurienne (Savoie), Poullaouen (Finistère), Ste-Marie-aux-Mines and Sewen. (Haut-Rhin), Farges (Corrèze) and Pierrefitte (Hautes-Pyrénées).

Twinning

Twins are known on {110} which produces pseudo-hexagonal or V shapes.

Fakes and treatments

No fake listed for this mineral species.


Hardness : 3.5 to 4
Density : 9.71
Fracture : Irregular
Streak : Silver-white

TP : Opaque
RI : -
Birefringence : -
Optical character : -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None

Solubility : Nitric acid


Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None

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