Zvěstovite-(Fe), Ag6(Ag4Fe2)As4S13, a new member of the tetrahedrite group from the Ulatayskoe Ag–Cu–Co occurrence, eastern Siberia, Russia

The new mineral zv & ecaron;stovite-(Fe), ideally Ag-6(Ag4Fe2)As4S13, has been found in the small abandoned Ulatayskoe Ag-Cu-Co occurrence, Ovyurskiy District, Tuva Republic, eastern Siberia, Russia. It occurs as anhedral grains, up to 1 x 0.4 mm in size but usually much smaller, closely intergrown with native silver, in Mg-bearing siderite-quartz gangue. Other associated minerals include acanthite, cobaltite, As-rich members of the tetrahedrite group (kenoargentotennantite-(Fe), tennantite-(Zn), zv & ecaron;stovite-(Zn)), gersdorffite, jalpaite, krutovite, l & ouml;llingite, pearceite, safflorite, skutterudite, Br-bearing chlorargyrite, malachite, and muscovite. Zv & ecaron;stovite-(Fe) is iron black and opaque and has a black streak and metallic lustre. It is brittle and has a conchoidal fracture. No cleavage or parting is observed. The Vickers micro-indentation hardness (Vickers hardness number, VHN; 25 g load) is 169 kg mm(-2) (range of 149-187 kg mm(-2), n=4), corresponding to a Mohs hardness of 3-3.5. The calculated density is 4.979 g cm(-3). In reflected light, zv & ecaron;stovite-(Fe) is light grey with a greenish tint and isotropic. Internal reflections are ubiquitous and deep red in colour. The reflectance values for wavelengths recommended by the Commission on Ore Mineralogy of the International Mineralogical Association are (R, %): 32.5 (470 nm), 31.1 (546 nm), 30.1 (589 nm), and 28.8 (650 nm). The chemical composition (wt %, electron microprobe data, mean of eight spot analyses) is as follows: Cu 1.81, Ag 56.02, Fe 4.60, Zn 0.01, As 13.85, Sb 2.63, S 21.50, total 100.42. The empirical formula, calculated on the basis of 16 atoms per formula unit, is Ag9.93Cu0.54Fe1.58As3.54Sb0.41S12.83. Zv & ecaron;stovite-(Fe) is cubic and has a space group of 3m, with a=10.8601(3), V=1280.86(11) & Aring;(3), and Z=2. The strongest lines of the X-ray powder diffraction pattern (d, & Aring; (I, %) hkl) are 7.68 (11) 110, 3.136 (100) 222, 2.717 (12) 400, 1.984 (8) 521, 1.921 (23) 440, and 1.638 (11) 622. The crystal structure of zv & ecaron;stovite-(Fe) was refined to R-1=0.0551 for 400 unique reflections with F-o>4 sigma (F-o). The possible ordering of the split M(2) sites is discussed. The new mineral is the Fe isotype of zv & ecaron;stovite-(Zn). Both these minerals form the zv & ecaron;stovite series within the tetrahedrite group.