Mawsonite

Mawsonite is a brownish orange sulfosalt mineral, containing copper, iron, tin, and sulfur: Cu₆Fe₂SnS₈.^[2]

Mawsonite
Mawsonite
General
Category	Sulfosalt minerals
Formula	Cu6Fe2SnS8
IMA symbol	Maw[1]
Strunz classification	2.CB.20
Crystal system	Tetragonal
Crystal class	Scalenohedral (42m) H-M symbol: (4 2m)
Space group	P4m2
Unit cell	a = 7.603 Å, c = 5.358 Å, Z = 1; V = 309.72 Å3
Identification
Color	Brownish orange
Crystal habit	Exsolution grains within bornite
Mohs scale hardness	3.5-4
Luster	Metallic
Diaphaneity	Opaque
Specific gravity	4.65 (calculated)
Pleochroism	Strong
Common impurities	Zn, Se
Other characteristics	Magnetic
References	[2][3][4]

Discovery and occurrence

It was first described in 1965 for occurrences in the Royal George mine, Swinton, Tingha, Hardinge County, New South Wales; and the North Lyell mine, Mount Lyell Mine, Queenstown, Tasmania.^[5]

It was named after Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson (1882–1958).^[2] It occurs within hydrothermal copper deposits in altered volcanic rocks. It also occurs in skarn deposits and as disseminations in altered granites. It occurs in association with bornite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, digenite, idaite, stannite, stannoidite, pyrrhotite, pentlandite, tennantite, enargite, luzonite–famatinite, kiddcreekite, mohite, native bismuth, galena and sphalerite.^[3]