Named in honour of Ernst Maksovich Spiridonov (Эрнст Максович Спиридонов) (b. 13 August 1938, Moscow, USSR), Professor at the Department of Mineralogy, Moscow State University, Russia. Prof. Spiridonov studied many gold deposits and discovered 20 new mineral species, most of them ore minerals.

Type Locality:

ⓘ Good Hope Mine (Mammoth Good Hope Mine; Mammoth-Good Hope Mine; Mammoth Chimney Mine), Vulcan, Vulcan Mining District (Cebolla Mining District; Domingo Mining District), Gunnison County, Colorado, USA

Discovered in a fragment from the cameronite holotype material.

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Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

53405

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:53405:3

IMA Classification of SpiridonoviteHide

IMA status:

Approved

IMA Formula:

(Cu_1-xAg_x)₂Te, (x≈0.4)

Approval year:

2019

First published:

2019

Type description reference:

Morana, Marta, Bindi, Luca (2019) Spiridonovite, (Cu_1-xAg_x)₂Te (x ≈ 0.4), a New Telluride from the Good Hope Mine, Vulcan, Colorado (U.S.A.) Minerals, 9 (3) 194 doi:10.3390/min9030194

Classification of SpiridonoviteHide

Strunz-mindat (2025):

2.BA.47

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
B : Metal Sulfides, M: S > 1: 1 (mainly 2: 1)
A : With Cu, Ag, Au

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Symbol	Source	Reference
Srv	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Physical Properties of SpiridonoviteHide

Lustre:

Metallic

Transparency:

Opaque

Colour:

Black

Streak:

Black

Hardness:

3 on Mohs scale

Hardness:

VHN₁₀₀=158 - Vickers

Tenacity:

Brittle

Cleavage:

None Observed

Parting:

None

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven

Density:

4.6 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Optical Data of SpiridonoviteHide

Anisotropism:

Very weak greyish to light-blue rotation tint

Bireflectance:

moderate bireflectance

Colour in reflected light:

dark bluish black

Pleochroism:

Weak

Comments:

light grey to a slightly greenish grey

Chemistry of SpiridonoviteHide

Mindat Formula:

(Cu_1-xAg_x)₂Te

x ≈ 0.4

Elements listed:

Ag, Cu, Te - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of SpiridonoviteHide

Crystal System:

Trigonal

Class (H-M):

3m (3 2/m) - Hexagonal Scalenohedral

Space Group:

P3c1

Cell Parameters:

a = 4.630(2) Å, c = 22.551(9) Å

Ratio:

a:c = 1 : 4.871

Unit Cell V:

418.7 Å³

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
3.78 Å	(60)
3.76 Å	(20)
2.317 Å	(100)
2.035 Å	(85)
1.973 Å	(15)
1.635 Å	(30)
1.338 Å	(10)
1.333 Å	(25)

Locality:

Good Hope Mine (Mammoth Good Hope Mine; Mammoth-Good Hope Mine; Mammoth Chimney Mine), Vulcan, Vulcan Mining District (Cebolla Mining District; Domingo Mining District), Gunnison County, Colorado, USA

Reference:

Morana, Marta, Bindi, Luca (2019) Spiridonovite, (Cu_1-xAg_x)₂Te (x ≈ 0.4), a New Telluride from the Good Hope Mine, Vulcan, Colorado (U.S.A.) Minerals, 9 (3) 194 doi:10.3390/min9030194

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
High-𝑇 alteration and/or metamorphism
33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12])

Type Occurrence of SpiridonoviteHide

Type Locality:

General Appearance of Type Material:

Black, subhedral to anhedral grains up to 65 μm.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

mineralogical collections of the Museo di Storia Naturale,
Università di Firenze, Via La Pira 4, I-50121, Firenze, Italy, catalogue number 3295/I

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Reference:

Morana, Marta, Bindi, Luca (2019) Spiridonovite, (Cu_1-xAg_x)₂Te (x ≈ 0.4), a New Telluride from the Good Hope Mine, Vulcan, Colorado (U.S.A.) Minerals, 9 (3) 194 doi:10.3390/min9030194

Synonyms of SpiridonoviteHide

IMA2018-136

Other Language Names for SpiridonoviteHide

German:Spiridonovit

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

2.BA.	Makotoite	Ag₁₂(Cu₃Au)S₈	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
2.BA.	Alburnite	Ag₈GeTe₂S₄	Iso.
2.BA.	Dzierżanowskite	CaCu₂S₂	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3m1
2.BA.	Xuwenyuanite	Ag₉Fe³⁺Te₂S₄	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.BA.	Orileyite	(Fe,Cu)₂As
2.BA.	Juxingite	Bi₆Cu₁₄₀Fe₃₀S₁₂₅	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.BA.05	Djurleite	Cu₃₁S₁₆	Mon. 2/m
2.BA.05	Geerite	Cu₈S₅	Trig. 3
2.BA.05	Roxbyite	Cu₅₈S₃₂	Tric. 1 : P1
2.BA.05	Chalcocite	Cu₂S	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
2.BA.10	Digenite	Cu₉S₅	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3m
2.BA.10	Anilite	Cu₇S₄	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
2.BA.15	Bornite	Cu₅FeS₄	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbca
2.BA.20	Bellidoite	Cu₂Se	Tet. 4/m : P4₂/n
2.BA.20	Berzelianite	Cu_2-xSe (x ≈ 0.12)	Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
2.BA.25	Athabascaite	Cu₅Se₄	Orth.
2.BA.25	Umangite	Cu₃Se₂	Tet. 4 2m : P4 2₁m
2.BA.30	Rickardite	Cu₇Te₅	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pmmn
2.BA.30	Weissite	Cu_2-xTe	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mmm
2.BA.35	Acanthite	Ag₂S	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/m
2.BA.35	Spryite	Ag₈(As³⁺_0.5As⁵⁺_0.5)S₆	Orth. mm2 : Pna2₁
2.BA.40d	UM2003-13-S:AgAuCu	Ag₆AuCu₂S₅
2.BA.40	Mckinstryite	Ag_5-xCu_3+xS₄	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
2.BA.40	Stromeyerite	AgCuS	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.BA.42	Honeaite	Au₃TlTe₂	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcm
2.BA.45	Jalpaite	Ag₃CuS₂	Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I4₁/amd
2.BA.45	Selenojalpaite	Ag₃CuSe₂	Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I4₁/amd
2.BA.45	Kurilite	Ag₈Te₃Se	Trig. 3 : R3
2.BA.50	Wuyanzhiite	Cu₂S	Tet. 4 2 2 : P4₃ 2₁ 2
2.BA.50	Eucairite	AgCuSe	Orth.
2.BA.52	Argentite	Ag₂S	Iso.
2.BA.55	Naumannite	Ag₂Se	Orth. 2 2 2 : P2₁ 2₁ 2₁
2.BA.55	Aguilarite	Ag₄SeS	Mon. 2/m
2.BA.60	Chenguodaite	Ag₉Fe³⁺Te₂S₄	Orth.
2.BA.60	Hessite	Ag₂Te	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
2.BA.60	Cervelleite	Ag₄TeS	Mon. 2/m
2.BA.65	Henryite	(Cu,Ag)_3+xTe₂ , with x ~ 0.40	Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fd3c
2.BA.65	Stützite	Ag_5-xTe₃, x = 0.24-0.36	Hex. 6 : P6
2.BA.70	Argyrodite	Ag₈GeS₆	Orth. mm2 : Pna2₁
2.BA.70	Putzite	(Cu_4.7Ag_3.3)GeS₆	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.BA.70	Canfieldite	Ag₈SnS₆	Orth. mm2 : Pna2₁
2.BA.75	Fischesserite	Ag₃AuSe₂	Iso. 4 3 2 : I4₁ 3 2
2.BA.75	Uytenbogaardtite	Ag₃AuS₂	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
2.BA.75	Penzhinite	(Ag,Cu)₄Au(S,Se)₄	Hex. 6 2 2 : P6₃ 2 2
2.BA.75	Petrovskaite	AuAgS	Mon.
2.BA.75	Petzite	Ag₃AuTe₂	Iso. 4 3 2 : I4₁ 3 2
2.BA.80	Bezsmertnovite	(Au,Ag)₄Cu(Te,Pb)	Orth.
2.BA.80	Bilibinskite	PbCu₂Au₃Te₂	Iso.
2.BA.80	Bogdanovite	(Au,Te,Pb)₃(Cu,Fe)	Iso.

Other InformationHide

Health Risks:

No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Internet Links for SpiridonoviteHide

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https://www.mindat.org/min-53405.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

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References for SpiridonoviteHide

Reference List:

Morana, Marta, Bindi, Luca (2019) Spiridonovite, (Cu_1-xAg_x)₂Te (x ≈ 0.4), a New Telluride from the Good Hope Mine, Vulcan, Colorado (U.S.A.) Minerals, 9 (3) 194 doi:10.3390/min9030194

Miyawaki, Ritsuro, Hatert, Frédéric, Pasero, Marco, Mills, Stuart J. (2019) New minerals and nomenclature modifications approved in 2019. CNMNC Newsletter No 48. Mineralogical Magazine, 83 (2) 315-317 doi:10.1180/mgm.2019.23

Morana, Marta, Bindi, Luca (2019) Spiridonovite, (Cu_1-xAg_x)₂Te (x ≈ 0.4), a New Telluride from the Good Hope Mine, Vulcan, Colorado (U.S.A.) Minerals, 9 (3) 194 doi:10.3390/min9030194

(2022) Spiridonovite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Localities for SpiridonoviteHide

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the

symbol to view information about a locality. The

symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Locality ListHide

- This locality has map coordinates listed.

- This locality has estimated coordinates. ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence. ? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.

- Good crystals or important locality for species.

- World class for species or very significant. (TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species. (FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.

USA (TL)

Colorado

Gunnison County

Vulcan Mining District (Cebolla Mining District; Domingo Mining District)

Vulcan

ⓘ Good Hope Mine (Mammoth Good Hope Mine; Mammoth-Good Hope Mine; Mammoth Chimney Mine) (TL)

Morana et al. (2019)

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Spiridonovite

Unique IdentifiersHide

IMA Classification of SpiridonoviteHide

Classification of SpiridonoviteHide

Mineral SymbolsHide

Physical Properties of SpiridonoviteHide

Optical Data of SpiridonoviteHide

Chemistry of SpiridonoviteHide

Crystallography of SpiridonoviteHide

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Geological EnvironmentHide

Type Occurrence of SpiridonoviteHide

Synonyms of SpiridonoviteHide

Other Language Names for SpiridonoviteHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

Other InformationHide

Internet Links for SpiridonoviteHide

References for SpiridonoviteHide

Localities for SpiridonoviteHide

Locality ListHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide