Click on a letter above to view the list of gems.  

Renierite
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

Chemistry:  (Cu,Zn)₁₁Fe₄(Ge,As)₂S₁₆

Discovered in 1948;   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered).
Renierite is named after Armund Marie Vincent Joseph Renier (1876 - 1951), Director of the Geological Survey of Belgium.

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Sulfides

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

2/C.10-10

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

2.CB.35

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
B : With Zn, Fe, Cu, Ag, etc.

Related to:

n/a

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Tetragonal - Scalenohedral

Crystal Habit:

As rare equant crystals, to 3 mm; disseminated granular aggregates, irregular patches, and as regular lamellae replacing germanite grains.

Twinning:

Polysynthetic twinning common; crystals are usually twinned

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

None

Fracture:

Uneven

Tenacity:

Brittle

Hardness (Mohs):

3.5 - 5.0

Density:

4.38 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

None

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Optical Properties

Color:

Orange-Bronze, tarnishes Reddish

Transparency:

Opaque

Luster:

Metallic

Refractive Index:

n/a; Opaque Metallic

Birefringence:

n/a; Opaque Metallic

Dispersion:

n/a; Opaque Metallic

Pleochroism:

Orange to brown or bronze with a violet tint

Anisotropism:

Strong; Yellow to Reddish Orange

Other:

Magnetic

Occurances

Geological Setting:

Rare in some Ge-bearing hydrothermal polymetallic deposits.

Common Associations:

Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Digenite, Enargite, Germanite, Sphalerite, Tennantite

Type Locality:

Kipushi Mine (Prince Léopold Mine), Kipushi, Lubumbashi (Elizabethville), Southern area, Katanga Copper Crescent, Katanga (Shaba), Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaïre)

Year Discovered:

1948

View mineral photos:

Renierite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Renierite is a rare sulfide mineral that is not often faceted. It's not difficult to facet, just not much demand for faceted Renierite gems. So from the point of availability, it is a very rare gem. Another one of those gems for "Black Gem" collectors. Renierite gems can have a beautiful iridescent appearance that the mineral is known for.

Although there are several sources of Renierite worldwide, it is a rare mineral. Some of the sources include the Prince Léopold mine, Kipushi, Katanga Province, Congo (Shaba Province, Zaire) [the Type Locality]; Pinar del Rio, Cuba; Tsumeb, Namibia; Kabwe (Broken Hill), Zambia; Chelopech deposit, Sofia, Bulgaria; San Giovanni mine, Iglesiente, Sardinia, Italy; Caucasus Mountains, Russia; Finnmark, Norway; Akita Prefecture, Japan; Udaipur district, Rajasthan, India; Ruby Creek deposit, southern Brooks Range, Alaska, USA; and Jamestown, Boulder County, Colorado, USA.
 

  
Renierite gems for sale:

We have not photographed the Renierite gems. Please check back soon.