ARSENOPYRITE – FeAsS

Arsenopyrite is a very common sulfide and constitutes an ore of As, but As is usually recovered as a
by-product processing ores of other elements.
Arsenopyrite has a high content (46%) in As and a turbulent history of exploration, with over 40 names
currently discredited. May contain high levels of Au. It can also contain Ag, Co, Sn, Ni, Sb, Bi, Cu, Pb. When
present in Au ores, it makes Au recovery difficult and releases toxic vapors during the process. Mines with
arsenopyrite generate acidic and toxic mine effluents.
Arsenopyrite is monoclinic, but twins can give it a pseudo-orthorhombic appearance. Twins are
frequent in {100} and {001}, of contact in (101) and (012), forming crosses or “trillings”.
If heated, broken or pulverized, it releases toxic arsenic fumes that smell like garlic. When altered, it
presents a greenish color; produces green colors on rocky walls. It is triboluminescent: it releases yellow or
orange “sparks” when tapped.

1. Characteristics:
Crystal System Color Habit Cleavage
Monoclinic Steel gray to silver white Acicular, prismatic, {110} distinct.
prismatic. (may have dark gray distorted, striated,
Tenacity colors or iridescent haze compact, granular, Striations paralell
films). columnar, etc. to {001}
Brittle.
Crystals up to 20 cm.
Twinning Fracture Mohs Hardness Parting
See above. Subconchoidal, irregular. 5.5 - 6 No.
Streak Lustre Diaphaneity Density (g/cm3)
Gray-black to black. Metallic intense. Opaque. 5.9 – 6.2

2. Geology and deposits:

Arsenopyrite occurs in high-temperature hydrothermal veins as one of the first minerals to form with
gold and tin. Also in pegmatites, in contact metamorphism rocks and in metasomatic rocks (skarnites).
More rarely in bituminous shales, in alluvium and very rarely in magmatic rocks (granites, basalts).

3. Mineral Associations:
Arsenopyrite occurs with common gangue minerals such as quartz, fluorite and carbonates (calcite,
siderite). With common sulfides such as galena, sphalerite, pyrite, pyrrhotite and marcasite and silicates such
as garnet and muscovite.
In the specific paragenesis, there are minerals with Ni, Co and As such as löllingite, nickelline and
mackinawite, Ag minerals such as native silver, acanthite, pyrargyrite, canfieldite and dyscrasite, Sn minerals
such as cassiterite, stannite and franckeite, Bi minerals such as native bismuth, bismuthinite and tellurides of
Bi, sulfides of Cu such as chalcopyrite, chalcocite, covellite and cubanite, oxides of W such as wolframite
(ferberite) and scheelite. Also with radioactive minerals (uraninite), native gold, valleriite and cinnabar.

4. TRANSMITTED LIGHT MICROSCOPY

Not applicable, as arsenopyrite is completely opaque.
5. REFLECTED LIGHT MICROSCOPY:
Sample preparation: polishing arsenopyrite requires a bit of effort, with a longer lasting polish, but it turns out
to be of excellent quality. Its polishing hardness is much lower than that of pyrite and cobaltite, but greater than
the hardness of magnetite, pyrrhotite and löllingite.

PPL Reflection White, slightly yellowish or pink, which is only recognized when the mineral is in the
color: vicinity of others that allow comparisons. Generally, the color impression is pure white,
very reminiscent of the white of galena.
Compared to the color of pyrite, the color of arsenopyrite is almost white, as pyrite is
cream-yellow with a brown tint.
Compared to the color of löllingite, the color of arsenopyrite is cream.
Compared with the color of safflorite, the color of arsenopyrite is cream.
Compared to the color of galena, the color of arsenopyrite is a very pale yellow.
Compared to the color of sphalerite, the color of arsenopyrite is very pale yellow.
Compared to the native silver color, the color of arsenopyrite is much darker and whiter.
Compared with the color of cobaltite, the color of arsenopyrite is lighter and whiter.

Pleochroism: Weak, only visible in intergranular contacts.

Reflectivity: 50.36 – 51.21% - very bright. Bireflectance: No.

It rises to 53.6% if it contains Co.

CPL Isotropy / Anisotropy: Strong anisotropy, varying according to the section between strong blue
(“Prussian Blue”, resembles jeans) and brown (with a strong orange tinge),
can be green.

Internal reflections: No.

May be confused with: a series of similar minerals that are associated with arsenopyrite. When in very
small grains, arsenopyrite can be confused with the minerals of the Pyrite Group and Marcasite.
See table at the end of this sheet!
Safflorite has pleochroism and is softer, with other habits (radial diamond crystals).
Löllingite is very similar, but its reflection color has a slight bluish tinge.
Rammelsbergite has very similar anisotropy colors.
Glaucodote has similar anisotropy, but the colors are fainter.
Gudmundite is another very similar mineral, but it is softer and pleochroism stronger.
Marcassite has a more yellowish reflection color.

Grain shape: there is a strong tendency to idiomorphy. Polygonal outlines are frequent, with well-
defined edges and perfect vertices, which can evolve into perfect rhombs in basal sections. Usually the crystals
are small, with sizes of less than one centimeter. It can be skeletal, granular, subhedral, elongated into
spherulites, fine-grained or very fine-grained. Idioblastic texture is possible.
Cleavage only is noticeable when the crystals are slightly altered.
Twins are very common; they can be simple or lamellar. Lamellae can occur in two systems. Mimetic
twins are possible. Cross twins produce radial clusters, macroscopically and microscopically.
Cataclasis is very common, concentrated in zones, whose fractures may contain other minerals.
Zonation can occur and can be confused with mimetic twins.
 Exsolution lamellae of glaucodote may occur.
Substitutions 1: Arsenopyrite is replaced by chalcopyrite, sphalerite, cassiterite, tetrahedrite, stannite,
ilmenite, chalcocite, acanthite and other silver ores, in addition to magnetite and löllingite.
Substitutions 2: Arsenopyrite replaces pyrite, cobaltite, löllingite, molybdenite, wolframite and galena,
more rarely magnetite.
Inclusions 1: Inclusions in arsenopyrite can be gold and molybdenite, as well as gold in fractures.
Inclusions 2: Arsenopyrite inclusions occur in pyrite, tetrahedrite and pyrrhotite.
Intergrowths with other minerals, oriented or not, occur frequently. They can be with löllingite, safflorite,
cobaltite, pyrite, tetrahedrite, galena, pyrrhotite and skutterudita.
Alteration of arsenopyrite produces soluble compounds with or without limonite.
Isotropic borders can be generated as a function of neighboring pitchblende or brannerite grains.

Basal section of arsenopyrite in PPL. These rhombs Arsenopyrite in CPL+2º, showing the two
or similar polygonal shapes, always with very well- anisotropy colors and a twin, very typical for this
defined boundaries and perfect vertices, are typical mineral. Above, hematite. Below, gangue
for arsenopyrite. minerals with milky internal reflections.

Arsenopyrite (white), sphalerite (light

grey) with unmixings of chalcopyrite
(yellow) and gangue (dark grey) in PPL.
Arsenopyrite always comes in a white
color very similar to galena.
Tarnished arsenopyrite in CPL, showing the mimetic Tarnished arsenopyrite in PPL, showing the
twin lamellae typical of the mineral, but not seen in typical twins of the mineral that are visible later in
freshly polished sections. CPL due to the different anisotropy colors.

Cluster of arsenopyrite crystals in PPL (left) and in CPL (right). In PPL, are typical the white, somewhat
yellow color, as well as the tendency of crystals to form polygons, sometimes rhombs (basal sections).
Typical in CPL are the anisotropy colors (brown/blue) and the fact that some of the crystals show twins.

In CPL, arsenopyrite showing one of its

anisotropy colors (yellow-orange),
cataclastic texture and lamellar twins.
 ARSENIDES and SULFIDES of Ni-Co-Fe-Sb-As-S
All have high reflectivity (40-60%), usually weak to absent pleochroism and bireflectance, and none have
internal reflections.
Color in PPL Behavior in CPL Diagnostic aspects
Arsenopyrite White Strong anisotropy in Polygonal outlines and twins
FeAsS blue / brown-orange. are frequent.

Glaucodote White / very light Distinct anisotropy in It tarnishes much faster than
(Co,Fe)AsS cream blue and yellow. arsenopyrite

Gersdorffite White, a little cream Isotropic. Perfect cubic cleavage

NiAsS or pink. almost always visible.

Löllingite White, with a faint Very strong anisotropy Idiomorphic forms and twins
FeAs2 yellowish tint. in orange and brown are common.

Safflorite White, may have a Strong anisotropy in Rhombic shapes and “star”
(Co,Ni,Fe)As2 bluish tint. dark brown and blue. twins occur.

Skutterudite Cream white to Isotropic. Zonation in “fortress” is

(Co,Fe,Ni)As2-3 cream grey. common.

Rammelsbergite Pure white, a color Strong anisotropy in Typical twins.

NiAs2 without other shades. brown, pink and blue. Difficult identification.
Pararammelsbergite Pure white, a very Strong anisotropy in Extremely high reflectivity.
NiAs2 white color. brown/yellow/grey.

Nickeline White with an orange Strong anisotropy in Strong pleochroism.

NiAs to pink tone. brown/blue/green.

Maucherite White to gray with a Weak anisotropy in Extremely rare.

Ni11As8 pink tint. green/brown/violet. It may be pseudo-isotropic.
Ullmannite Light gray, almost Isotropic. Typical cubic shapes.
NiSbS white.

Breithauptite Pink with a violet Very strong anisotropy Strong pleochroism.

NiSb hue. in green/blue/red.

Millerite Pale yellow to cream Strong anisotropy in Habit almost always

NiS yellow. yellow and bluish. acicular (“hair pyrite”)
Pentlandite Cream to cream- Isotrope, but never Always with pyrrhotite and
(Fe,Ni)9S8 yellow to brown. totally dark. chalcopyrite.

Violarite Gray-brown with Isotropic. Typical of magmatic

FeNi2S4 violet or pink tones. sulphides.

Cobaltite Pinkish white to light Weak anisotropy from Strong tendency to

CoAsS pink. yellow to blue. idiomorphy.

Gudmundite Silver white to steel Strong anisotropy in Very similar to arsenopyrite!

FeSbS grey. yellow and red.

Edition of February 2022