| Abstract | Criddleite, ideally TlAg2Au3Sb10S10, is a rare constituent within the Hemlo gold deposit, Hemlo, Ontario, Canada. The mineral occurs as 20 to 50 µm-sized lath-like, tabular or anhedral grains usually
surrounding or penetrating aurostibite, or associated with native antimony, native gold and stibnite. Criddleite is opaque with a metallic lustre and a black streak. It has been synthesized by reacting TlSbS2 and high purity Ag, Au, Sb and S in an
evacuated silica glass tube at 400 °C. The measured density of the synthetic material is 6.86; the calculated density is 6.57 g/cm3. The difference is due to minor admixed aurostibite, native antimony and a dyscrasite-like phase within the charge.
VHN25 is 94 129. Mohs hardness (calc.) = 3 3 ½. In reflected plane-polarized light in air, natural criddleite is weakly bireflectant with a discernible reflectance pleochroism from grey-blue to slightly greenish grey-blue. The mineral has a distinct
to moderate anisotropy with rotation tints in shades of buff to slate grey. Reflectance spectra and colour values for both natural and synthetic criddleite are given. X-ray study showed that synthetic criddleite is monoclinic (pseudotetragonal) with
refined unit-cell parameters a = 20.015(2), b = 8.075(2), c = 7.831(2) à, β = 92.01(2)°, V = 1264.9 ± 1.0 à3 and a:b:c = 2.4786: 1:0.9698. The space group choices are A2/m(12), A2(5) or Am(8), diffraction aspect A*/*. The seven strongest lines in
the X-ray powder diffraction pattern [d in à (I) (hkl)] are: 5.63(90) (011), 3.91(50) (002), 3.456(50) (320), 2.860(70) (700), 2.813(100) (022), 2.018(60) (040) and 1.959(70) (004). Electron microprobe analyses are reported of natural criddleite in
five polished sections of drill core from four holes. The averaged empirical formulae, based on 26 atoms, are Tl0.92Ag1.99Au2.93Sb9.87S10.28 (natural) and Tl0.94Ag2.03Au2.89Sb9.76S10.38 (synthetic). |