Miersite Mineral Data

General Miersite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ag,Cu)I

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 223.69 gm

Copper 7.10 % Cu 8.00 % Cu₂O

Silver 36.17 % Ag 38.85 % Ag₂O

Iodine 56.73 % I 56.73 % I

- % I -3.58 % -O=I₂

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ag_0.75Cu_0.25I

Environment:

Forms a partial series with marshite.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1898

Locality:

Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Henry Alexander Miers (1848-1942), English mineralogist, Oxford University.

Name Pronunciation:

Miersite

Synonym:

ICSD 61542

PDF 2-499

Miersite Image

Images:

Miersite

Comments: Translucent miersite crystals on matrix.
Location: Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Miersite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 6.504, Z = 4; V = 275.13 Den(Calc)= 5.40

Crystal System:

Isometric - Hextetrahedral H-M Symbol (4 3m) Space Group: F43m

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.23(1), 1.95(0.8), 2.28(0.8),

Physical Properties of Miersite

Cleavage:

{111} Good, {111} Good, {111} Good

Color:

Greenish, Canary yellow, Light yellow.

Density:

5.64

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to subtranslucent

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Encrustations - Forms crust-like aggregates on matrix.

Hardness:

2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite

Luster:

Adamantine

Streak:

greenish yellow

Optical Properties of Miersite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.044 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2222,KPDmeas= 0.2128,KC= 0.2128
Ncalc = 2.15 - 2.2

Optical Data:

Isotropic, n=2.2.

Calculated Properties of Miersite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.82 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Miersite =5.64 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0
Boson Index = 1

Photoelectric:

PE_Miersite= 323.69 barns/electron
U=PE_Miersite x rElectron Density=1,558.79 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Miersite is Not Radioactive

Miersite Classification

Dana Class:

09.01.07.02 (09)Anhydrous and Hydrated Halides

(09.01)where A X

(09.01.07)Nantokite Series

09.01.07.01 Nantokite CuCl F43m 4 3m

09.01.07.02 Miersite (Ag,Cu)I F43m 4 3m

09.01.07.03 Marshite CuI F43m 4 3m

Strunz Class:

03.AA.05 03 - HALIDES

03.A - Simple Halides, Without H2O

03.AA -M:X = 1:1, 2:3, 3:5, etc.

03.AA.05 Marshite CuI F43m 4 3m

03.AA.05 Nantokite CuCl F43m 4 3m

03.AA.05 Miersite (Ag,Cu)I F43m 4 3m

Other Miersite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Ford32)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Miersite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Miersite Specimen Label here :

Miersite

(Ag,Cu)I
Dana No: 09.01.07.02 Strunz No: 03.AA.05
Locality:

Notes:

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