Routhierite

Routhierite is a rare thallium sulfosalt mineral with formula Tl(Cu,Ag)(Hg,Zn)₂(As,Sb)₂S₆.

Routhierite
Routhierite cristals (red).
General
Category	Sulfosalt mineral
Formula	Tl(Cu,Ag)(Hg,Zn)2(As,Sb)2S6
IMA symbol	Rtr[1]
Strunz classification	2.GA.40
Crystal system	Tetragonal
Crystal class	Ditetragonal pyramidal (4mm) H-M symbol: (4mm)
Space group	I4mm
Unit cell	a = 9.9821(11), c = 11.3122(12) [Å]; Z = 4
Identification
Color	Violet-red
Crystal habit	Anhedral grains, xenomorphic grains and veinlets
Twinning	Microscopic polysynthetic twin lamellae
Cleavage	2; two perpendicular
Mohs scale hardness	3.5
Luster	Metallic
Diaphaneity	Opaque
Density	5.83
Pleochroism	Weak
References	[2][3][4]

It was first described in 1974 for an occurrence in the Jas Roux deposit in the French Alps.^[3] It was named after French geologist Pierre Routhier (1916–2008).^[5] It is also reported from the Northern Ural Mountains, Russia and the Thunder Bay district of Ontario, Canada.^[2]