Sulfosalt mineral

Sulfosalt minerals are sulfide minerals with the general formula A_mB_nX_p, where

• A represents a metal such as copper, lead, silver, iron, and rarely mercury, zinc, vanadium
• B usually represents semi-metal such as arsenic, antimony, bismuth, and rarely germanium, or metals like tin and rarely vanadium
• X is sulfur or rarely selenium and/or tellurium.

The Strunz classification includes the sulfosalts in a sulfides and sulfosalts superclass. A group which have similar appearing formulas are the sulfarsenides (for example cobaltite (Co,Fe)AsS). In sulfarsenides the arsenic substitutes for sulfide anions whereas in the sulfosalts the arsenic substitutes for a metal cation.

About 200 sulfosalt minerals are known. Examples include:

• As illustrated by this specimen of proustite, sulfosalt minerals are often deeply colored.

• A₃BX₃ type
  • Pyrargyrite Ag₃SbS₃
  • Proustite Ag₃AsS₃
  • Tetrahedrite Cu₁₂Sb₄S₁₃
  • Tennantite Cu₁₂As₄S₁₃
• A₃BX₄ type
  • Enargite Cu₃AsS₄
  • Sulvanite Cu₃VS₄
  • Samsonite Ag₄MnSb₂S₆
  • Geocronite Pb₁₄(Sb,As)₆S₂₃
  • Gratonite Pb₉As₄S₁₅
• A₂BX₃ type
  • Bournonite PbCuSbS₃
  • Seligmannite PbCuAsS₃
  • Aikinite PbCuBiS₃
• ABX₂ type
  • Boulangerite Pb₅Sb₄S₁₁
  • Matildite AgBiS₂
  • Smithite AgAsS₂
  • Chalcostibite CuSbS₂
  • Emplectite CuBiS₂
  • Teallite PbSnS₂
• A₂B₂X₅ type
  • Ramdohrite Ag₃Pb₆Sb₁₁S₂₄
  • Jamesonite Pb₄FeSb₆S₁₄
  • Cosalite Pb₂Bi₂S₅
• A₂B₃X₆ type
  • Andorite PbAgSb₃S₆
  • Lindstromite Pb₃Cu₃Bi₇S₁₅
• AB₂X₄ type
  • Zinkenite Pb₉Sb₂₂S₄₂
  • Berthierite FeSb₂S₄
  • Cylindrite Pb₃Sn₄FeSb₂S₁₄