Mineralpedia Details for Bournonite

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Bournonite

Named to honor French mineralogist and crystallographer Jacques Louis de Bournon. Bournonite is relatively common and can be found in hydrothermal veins of medium temperatures in localities in England, Ireland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Romania, France, Bolivia, Peru, the United States, Mexico, Australia, Japan, and China, among several others. Assocaited minerals include galena, tetrahedrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, stibnite, zinkenite, siderite, quartz, rhodochrosite, dolomite, and baryte.

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

Formula: CuPbSbS₃
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Crystal Habit: Platy, Pseudo Cubic, Cog-wheel
Cleavage: Imperfect, None, None
Luster: Metallic
Color: gray, black, steel gray
Streak: gray
Class: Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal
Fracture: Sub Conchoidal
Hardness: 3
WebMineral: View Bournonite
Mindat: View Bournonite

Bournonite from Quiruvilca mine, Santiago de Chuco prov., La Libertad dept., Peru

Cogswheel twinned Bournonite crystals each to about 1.5 cm long by at 1cm across the prism axis.

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Bournonite from Cavnic, Maramures Co., Romania

Special Info: Cooke Collection

Numerous little stout crsystals to 2-6mm of Bournonite showing crude to well-developed classic cogwheel twinning and deep striations on the prism faces. Associated with Pyrite and drusy Quartz and Sphalerite (most of the matrix).

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Bournonite from Pribram, Bohemia, Czech Republic

Special Info: Antique Specimen

Tabuler, twinned Bournonite crystal to 1cm and a few smaller on Siderite matrix. Comes with an old Conklin label and another old inked label accidentally torn.

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Bournonite from Casapalca, Lima Dept., Peru

Large silver-gray Bournonite crystals to over 1cm with classic cogwheel twinning with small quartz crystals scattered on some of the larger crystals, giving a nice contrast to the steel grey Bournonite.

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Bournonite from Pachapaqui dist, Bolognesi prov., Ancash dept., Peru

Silvery cyclic twinned crystals to 5mm with Quartz.

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Bournonite from Valea Vinului mine, Rodna Mtn., Bistrița-Năsăud Co., Romania

A nice combination specimen with very reflective and excellent Bournonite crystals perched on the Galena. The group of Bournonite measures 1.5cm and the Galena is 1.7cm. Also associated with Quartz and Pyrite.