Mineral Factbook

Calaverite

AuTe2IMA symbol: Clvgrandfathered

Calaverite is a sulfide or sulfosalt mineral with the formula AuTe2, crystallizing in the monoclinic system. It has a Mohs hardness of 8, typically white in color, with a metallic luster, a specific gravity of 9.043. Its streak is black.

Photos

Calaverite specimen photo
HolDu · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Commons
Calaverite specimen photo
HolDu · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Commons
Calaverite specimen photo
Vikent’eva, O.V.; Shilovskikh, V.V.; Shcherbakov, V.D.; Vikentyev, I.V.; Bortnikov, N.S. · CC BY 4.0 · Commons
Calaverite specimen photo
James St. John · CC BY 2.0 · Commons

Crystallography

Crystal systemmonoclinic crystal systemWikidata (CC0)
Space groupC 1 2/m 1
Cell (Å, °)a = 7.189, b = 4.407, c = 5.069; α = 90, β = 89.96, γ = 90
Cell volume160.596 ų, Z = 2
Axial ratios1.6313:1:1.1502calculated from COD 9011279
Source structureCOD 9011279 (Acta Crystallographica, Section B, 1993) — 1 of 13 structures

Powder X-ray diffraction (calculated)

2θ (degrees, Cu Kα1)I/I₀ (max 100)
d (Å)3.0192.9312.1052.1012.2041.761
I/I₀10039.533.727.921.117.9

xrd-v1: CuKa1 1.5406A, 2theta 5-90, top10, Imax=100, no DW/PO. Computed from COD 9011279; idealized occupancies, no preferred orientation.

Physical properties

Density (calculated)9.351 g/cm³calculated from COD 9011279
Hardness (Mohs)
8single sourceDana's System, 1st Appendix (1899)
Specific gravity
9.043 g/cm3Ford, Dana's Textbook of Mineralogy, 3rd ed. (1922)
Color
whiteFord, Dana's Textbook of Mineralogy, 3rd ed. (1922)
Streak
blacksingle sourceFord, Dana's Textbook of Mineralogy, 3rd ed. (1922)
Luster
metallicsingle sourceFord, Dana's Textbook of Mineralogy, 3rd ed. (1922)

Chemistry (calculated)

Molecular weight452.17 g/molcalculated from the IMA formula
Composition (wt%)Au 43.56%, Te 56.44%

Classification

Nickel-Strunz (10th)2.EA.10Wikidata (CC0)
Nickel-Strunz (9th)2.EA.10Wikidata (CC0)