Search Mineralpedia – A Mineral Photo Database and Identification Guide

Named for the arsenic in the composition. Arsenolite in an uncommon mineral that occurs as a product of the oxidization of arsenic-bearing sulfides in hydrothermal veins and can be formed during mine fires and in burning coal seams and can be found in association with claudetite, realgar, orpiment, erythrite. Localities include in Germany, the Czech Republic, France, England, Greece, Italy, the United States, Canada, among others. Arsenolite has an astringent, sweetish taste, but is extremely toxic and should not be ingested, even out of curiosity. Interestingly, there are no chemical analyses of natural material.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/arsenolite.pdf

Name is a combination of the old term “arsenical pyrites.” Silver white to steel grey, often tarnish giving an iridescence. Crystals short prismatic, often elongated parallel to c-axis. Uncommonly twinned as star-like trillings. Usually granular to massive. Arsenopyrite is the most abundant and widespread of the arsenic minerals and has thousands of worldwide localities, some of which have large and/or fine crystals and include Germany, Serbia, Portugal, Sweden, Greece, England, the United States, Mexico, Canada, Japan, and many others. Most commonly found in medium to high temperature veins. Common in metamorphic deposits, sparse in pegmatites.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/arsenopyrite.pdf

Named as the arsenate analogue of tsumebite. Arsentsumebite is a rare mineral that can be found in Namibia, Germany, the Czech Republic, the United States, and Australia, and a few others. It occurs in oxidized hydrothermal polymetallic deposits in association with malachite, cerussite, smithsonite, mimetite, bayldonite, conichalcite, duftite, quartz, and iron oxides.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/arsentsumebite.pdf

Named to honor Sir Arthur Edward Ian Montagu Russell and Arthur William Gerald Kingsbury, for their contributions to British mineralogy. Arthurite is a rare mineral that occurs in oxidized copper deposits and forms as a result of the alteration of arsenopyrite or enargite. Localities for Arthurite include in England, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Chile, the United States, and Australia among a few others.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/arthurite.pdf

Named for the type locality of the mineral at Ascham Alp, also called Ascham Alm, in Salzburg, Austria. Aschamalmite is a rare mineral that can be found in additional localities in the United States at Granite Gap in New Mexico, and in Romania and Italy. It occurs at the type locality in alpine veins cutting through gneiss, in association with cosalite, galena, quartz, albite, orthoclase, calcite, and chlorite.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/aschamalmite.pdf

Named for the type locality at the Ashburton Downs in a copper deposit in Western Australia, Australia. The only additional locality for Ashburtonite is at the Tonopah-Belmont mine in Arizona, USA. It occurs at the type locality at a weathered shear zone that cuts through shale and greywacke, and forms as an alteration product of galena and likely chalcopyrite. Associated minerals include diaboleite, duftite, beudantite, caledonite, plattnerite, cerussite, malachite, and brochantite.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/ashburtonite.pdf