An investigation of sample 41647 from the Platinum Placer of Ugol'nyi Ruchei, Norilsk Cu–Ni deposit, Russia, stored in the systematic collection of the Fersman Mineralogical Museum, revealed that it contained a mineral that can be identified as the original stannopalladinite described in 1947. As the literature information on the latter is controversial, the mineral was re-investigated using modern analytical techniques. Stannopalladinite occurs as spherical and ovoid-shaped grains up to 0.08 mm, closely intergrown with tetraferroplatinum as part of flattened, prismatic crystals up to 6 mm long. The micro-indentation hardness of stannopalladinite (VHN, 30 g load) is 244 kg/mm2 (range 233–266, n = 4), corresponding to a Mohs hardness of 4. The calculated density is 9.781 g/cm3. In reflected light, stannopalladinite is pale pink. The bireflectance is noticeable only in oil immersion. In crossed nicols the mineral exhibits strong anisotropy with colour effects changing from reddish purple to greyish blue and polysynthetic twinning of grains. The reflectance curves show distinct anomalous dispersion. The chemical composition (wt.%, electron microprobe data, mean of 11 analyses) is: Cu 8.48, Pd 61.21, Pt 0.89, Sn 25.87, Pb 3.70, total 100.15. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of 4 atoms per formula unit is (Pd2.42Cu0.56Pt0.02)Σ3.00(Sn0.92Pb0.08)Σ1.00. The ideal chemical formula of stannopalladinite is therefore proposed as (Pd,Cu)3Sn instead of Pd3Sn2 used in the official IMA List of Minerals. The strongest powder X-ray diffraction lines are [dobs, Å (I, %) (hkl) ]: 2.292 (42) (231), 2.166 (100) (331), 2.034 (10) (710), 1.916 (15) (141) and 1.851 (15) (630). The powder X-ray data are indexed in the orthorhombic unit cell with a = 14.634(2), b = 8.5253(6), c = 4.5946(3) Å and V = 573.24(7) Å3 (Z = 8). Stannopalladinite can be reliably identified among all other minerals belonging to the binary Pd–Sn and ternary Pd–Cu–Sn systems by a combination of chemical, optical and X-ray data.

Mcalpineite, ideally Cu3TeO6·H2O, occurs as isolated 0.5 mm-sized emerald green cryptocrystalline crusts on white quartz at the long-abandoned McAlpine mine, Tuolumne County, California, U.S.A. Associated nonmetallic phases are muscovite (mariposite), calcite, goethite, hematite, chlorargyrite, choloalite, keystoneite, mimetite, malachite, azurite, annabergite and a host of unidentified crusts, both crystalline and amorphous. Associated metallic minerals include pyrite, acanthite, hessite, electrum, altaite, native silver, galena, pyrargyrite, sphalerite and owyheeite. The mineral has also been identified at the Centennial Eureka mine, Juab County, Utah, U.S.A., where it occurs as interstitial olive-green coatings and as millimetre-sized dark green-black cryptocrystalline nodules lining drusy quartz vugs. Associated minerals are xocomecatlite, hinsdalite-svanbergite, goethite and several new species including two hydrated copper tellurates, a hydrated copper-zinc tellurate/tellurite, and a hydrated copper-zinc tellurate/tellurite-arsenate-chloride. Mcalpineite is cubic, P-lattice (space group unknown), a = 9.555(2) Å, V = 872.4(4) Å. The strongest six lines in the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern [d in Å (I) (hkl)] are: 4.26(40)(210), 2.763(100)(222), 2.384(70)(400), 1.873(40)(431,510), 1.689(80)(440) and 1.440(60)(622). The average of four electron-microprobe analyses (McAlpine mine) is CuO 50.84, NiO 0.17, PbO 4.68, SiO2 0.65, TeO3 39.05, H2O (calc.) [4.51], total [100.00] wt. %. With O = 7, the empirical formula is (Cu2.79Pb0.09Ni0.01)∑2.89(Te0.97Si0.05)∑1.02O5.90·1.10H2O. This gives a calculated density of 6.65. g/cm3 for Z = 8. The average of two electron-microprobe analyses (Centennial Eureka mine) is CuO 51.2, ZnO 3.1, TeO3 39.0, SiO2 0.2, As2O5 0.8, H2O (by CHN elemental analyser) 7, total 101.3 wt. %, leading to the empirical formula (Cu2.56Zn0.15)∑2.71 (Te0.88Si0.02As0.02)∑0.92O5.47·1.53H2O. The infrared absorption spectrum shows definite bands for structural H2O with an O-H stretching frequency centred at 3320 cm−1 and a H-O-H flexing frequency centred at 1600 cm−1. In reflected light Mcalpineite is isotropic, nondescript grey, with ubiquitous brilliant apple to lime green internal reflections. The refractive index calculated from Fresnel equations is 2.01. Measured reflectance values in air and in oil are tabulated. Reflectance study also shows that cryptocrystalline aggregates are composed of micron-sized sheaves of fibrous or prismatic crystals. Other physical properties include: adamantine lustre; light green streak; brittle; uneven fracture; translucent to transparent and nonfluorescent under both long- and short-wave ultraviolet light. The name is for the first known locality, the McAlpine mine.

Vaughanite, idealized formula T1HgSb4S7, is a very rare primary constituent of the Golden Giant orebody of the Hemlo gold deposit, Hemlo, Ontario, Canada. It was found in two polished sections from one drill core; as a 450 by 300 µm aggregate associated with pääkkönenite, stibnite, realgar, and native arsenic; and as a 40 µm anhedral grain associated with stibarsen and chalcostibite. Vaughanite is opaque with a metallic lustre and a black streak. No cleavage was observed but parting, produced by indentation, was detected as a series of weak parallel traces. It is brittle, with an even, occasionally arcuate, fracture. VHN25 is 100–115, mean 104. Mohs hardness (calc.) = 3−3½. In refected plane-polarized light in air the bireflectance is weak to moderate; the pleochroism is also weak, from a somewhat greenish grey to slightly darker bluish grey. Anisotropism is moderate to strong, with rotation tints in shades of green, yellow, purplish brown to brown. Reflectance spectra and colour values are tabulated. The colour in air is light grey. Internal reflections are rare but are arterial-blood-red on indentation fractures. X-ray studies have shown that vaughanite is triclinic with refined unit-cell parameters a 9.012 (3), b 13.223 (3), c 5.906 (2) Å, α 93.27 (3)°, β 95.05 (4)°, γ 109.16 (3)°, V 659.46 (80) Å3, a:b:c = 0.6815 : 1 : 0.4466 and Z = 2. The space group choices are P1 (1) or (2), diffraction aspect P*. The five strongest lines in the X-ray powder pattern [d in Å (l) (hkl)] are: 4.343 (30) (), 4.204 (100) (), 3.313 (60) (130), 2.749 (40) (, 131) and 2.315 (30) (, 122). The average of five electron microprobe analyses gave T1 18.3 (2), Hg 17.5 (2), Sb 43.4 (3), As 1.1 (1), S 20.5 (5), total 100.8 wt. %, corresponding, on the basis of total atoms = 13, to T10.98Hg0.95(Sb3.90As0.17)Σ4.07S7.00. The calculated density is 5.56 g/cm3 for the empirical formula and 5.62 g/cm3 for the simplified formula. The mineral is named for Professor David J. Vaughan.

Verbeekite, ideally PdSe2, monoclinic with space-group choices C2/m, C2 or Cm; a = 6.659(7), b = 4.124(5), c = 4.438(6) Å, ß = 92.76(3)°, V = 121.7(4) Å3; a:b:c = 1.6147:1:1.0761, Z = 2, is a new, very rare, primary mineral, intimately associated with secondary oosterboschite {(Pd,Cu)7Se5}, from the Musonoi Cu-Co-Mn-U mine, near Kolwezi, Shaba Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Additional associated minerals are Cu- and Pd-bearing trogtalite {(Co,Cu,Pd)Se2}, Se-bearing digenite and Se-bearing covellite. The strongest five lines of the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern {d in Å (I) (hkl)} are: 4.423(30)(001), 3.496 (30)(110), 2.718(100)(111), 1.955(50)(310 and 1.896(50)(12). The mineral has also been identified, as a single anhedral 25 µm-sized grain, from Hope's Nose, Torquay, Devon, England where it is associated with native gold, chrisstanleyite Ag2Pd3Se4, oosterboschite(?), unnamed Pd2HgSe3 and cerussite. At Musonoi, altered verbeekite grains do not exceed 200 µm in size and are anhedral, black, with a black streak and a metallic lustre. The mineral is opaque, brittle, has an uneven fracture, and lacks discernible cleavage. The VHN5 ranges 490–610, mean 550 kp/mm2 (2 indentations), roughly approximating a Mohs' hardness of 5Ý. Dcalc. = 7.211 g/cm3 for the ideal formula. Electron-microprobe analyses (mean of 4 spot analyses) yielded Pd 39.6, Cu 0.5, Se 58.8, total 98.9 wt.%. The empirical formula is (Pd0.99Cu0.02)σ1.01Se1.99, based on Pd+Cu+Se = 3. In plane-polarized reflected light, the mineral is a nondescript grey and is neither pleochroic nor perceptibly bireflectant. Anisotropy is moderate with rotation tints in varying shades of brown. Reflectance spectra and colour values are tabulated. The name honours Dr Théodore Verbeek (1927–1991) who was the first geoscientist to study the Musonoi palladium mineralization in the Democratic Republic of Congo (1955–1967) and who co-discovered this new mineral phase.

Leisingite, ideally Cu(Mg,Cu,Fe,Zn)2Te6+O6·6H2O, is hexagonal, P3 (143), with unit-cell parameters refined from powder data: a = 5.305(1), c = 9.693(6) Å, V = 236.2(2) Å3, c/a = 1.8271, Z = 1. The strongest six reflections of the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern [d in Å (I) (hkl)] are: 9.70 (100) (001), 4.834 (80) (002), 4.604 (60) (100), 2.655 (60) (110), 2.556 (70) (111) and 2.326 (70) (112). The mineral is found on the dumps of the Centennial Eureka mine, Juab County, Utah U.S.A. where it occurs as isolated, or rarely as clusters of, hexagonal-shaped very thin plates or foliated masses in small vugs of crumbly to drusy white to colourless quartz. Associated minerals are jensenite, cesbronite and hematite. Individual crystals are subhedral to euhedral and average less than 0.1 mm in size. Cleavage {001} perfect. Forms are: {001} major; {100}, {110} minute. The mineral is transparent to somewhat translucent, pale yellow to pale orange-yellow, with a pale yellow streak and an uneven fracture. Leisingite is vitreous with a somewhat satiny to frosted appearance, brittle to somewhat flexible and nonfluorescent; H(Mohs) 3–4; D(calc.) 3.41 for the idealized formula; uniaxial negative, ω = 1.803(3), ɛ = 1.581 (calc.). Averaged electron-microprobe analyses yielded CuO 24.71, FeO 6.86, MgO 6.19, ZnO 0.45, TeO3 36.94, H2O (calc.) [21.55], total [96.70] wt.%, leading to the empirical formula based on O = 12. The infrared absorption spectrum shows definite bands for structural H2O with an O-H stretching frequency centered at 3253 cm−1 and a H-O-H flexing frequency centered at 1670 cm−l. The mineral name honours Joseph F. Leising, Reno, Nevada, who helped collect the discovery specimens.

Aurivilliusite, ideally Hg2+Hg1+OI, is monoclinic, C 2/c, with unit-cell parameters refined from X-ray powder data: a= 17.580(6), b= 6.979(1), c= 6.693(3)Å, β = 101.71(4)°, V = 804.0(5)Å3, a:b:c= 2.5190:1:0.9590,Z = 8. The strongest six lines of the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern [din Å (I )(hkl)] are: 8.547(70)(200), 3.275(100)(002), 2.993(80)(21), 2.873(80)(600), 2.404(50b)(02, 421, 22) and 1.878(50)(23). This extremely rare mineral was collected from a small prospect pit near the longabandoned Clear Creek mercury mine, New Idria district, San Benito County, California, USA. It is intimately intermixed with another new undefined Hg-O-I phase (‘CCUK-15’), and is also closely associated with native mercury, cinnabar and edgarbaileyite in a host rock principally composed of quartz and magnesite. Aurivilliusite occurs in a cm-wide quartz vein predominantly as irregular-shaped thin patches ‘splattered’ on the quartz surface; patches vary in size from 10–20 μm up to 0.5 mm. The only known subhedral platy brightly reflecting crystal fragment, with major ﹛100﹜ form and distinct ﹛100﹜ cleavage, did not exceed 0.2 mm in longest dimension. The mineral is dark grey-black with a dark red-brown streak. Physical properties include: metallic lustre; opaque; non-fluorescent; brittle; uneven fracture; calculated density 8.96 g/cm3 (empirical formula), 8.99 g/cm3 (ideal formula). In polished section in plane-polarized reflected light, aurivilliusite resembles cinnabar, is extremely light sensitive, shows twinning and no internal reflections, and exhibits an unusual ‘red light’ coalescing phenomena. Averaged and corrected results of electron-microprobe analyses yielded HgO 40.10, Hg2O 38.62, I 22.76, Br 0.22, Cl 0.06, sum 101.76, less O = I + Br + Cl –1.46, total 100.30 wt.%, corresponding to Hg1.002+Hg1.001+ O1.01(I0.97Br0.01Cl0.01)Σ0.99, based on O + I + Br + Cl = 2 atoms per formula unit (a.p.f.u.). The original value for Hg, 74.27 wt.%, was partitioned in a HgO:Hg2O ratio of 1:1 after the discovery of the crystal-structure paper dealing with the synthetic equivalent of aurivilliusite. The mineral name is in honour of the late Dr Karin Aurivillius (1920 –1982), chemistcrystallographer at the University of Lund, Sweden, for her significant contributions to the crystal chemistry of Hg-bearing inorganic compounds. Aurivilliusite is related chemically to terlinguaite, Hg2+Hg1+OCl, but has a different structure and X-ray characteristics.

Okayamalite, Ca2B2SiO7, tetragonal, P21m, a = 7.116, c = 4.815 Å, Z = 2, is a new member of melilite group, the boron analogue of gehlenite. Electron microprobe analysis gave CaO 46.28, B2O3 28.50, SiO2 24.24, Al2O3 0.36, total 99.38 wt.%, corresponding to Ca2.01B2.00Si0.98Al0.02O7, a natural counterpart of Ca2B2SiO7 known only synthetically. The strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are 3.479 (40)(111), 2.862 (55)(201), 2.654 (100)(211), 2.129 (20)(301), 1.920 (35)(212), 1.644 (29)(312), very close to those of the synthetic material (a = 7.115, and c = 4.812 ). It is creamy white in colour with an earthy appearance due to the fine grain size. Streak white, cleavage not observed. Hardness ∼5½. Density calculated on the ideal formula is 3.30 g/cm3. It is optically uniaxial negative with ω = 1.700, and ɛ = 1.696. It occurs as patches of a few millimetres across in grey homogeneous-looking aggregate of wollastonite, vesuvianite, calcite and johnbaumite from Fuka mine, Bicchu-cho, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. The patches consist of very fine grains of the mineral up to 30 μm. Okayamalite is considered to be a product after the reaction formula: CaCO3 + CaSiO3 + B2O3 = Ca2B2SiO7 + CO2, arising from boron metasomatism of a wollastonite-calcite aggregate. The name is for the prefecture.

Shannonite, ideally Pb2OCO3, is a new mineral species that occurs as mm-sized white porcellanous crusts, associated with fluorite, at the Grand Reef mine, Graham County, Arizona, USA. Other associated minerals are plumbojarosite, hematite, Mn-oxides, muscovite-2M1, quartz, litharge, massicot, hydrocerussite, minium, and unnamed PbCO3·2PbO. Shannonite is orthorhombic, space group P21221 or P212121, with unit-cell parameters (refined from X-ray powder data): a 9.294(3), b 9.000(3), c 5.133(2) Å, V 429.3(3) Å3, a:b:c 1.0327:1:0.5703, Z = 4. The strongest five lines in the X-ray powder pattern [d in Å (I)(hkl)] are: 4.02(40)(111); 3.215(100)(211); 3.181(90)(121); 2.858(40)(130); 2.564(35)(002). The average of eight electron microprobe analyses is PbO 89.9(5), CO2 (by CHN elemental analyser) 9.70, total 99.60 wt.%. With O = 4, the empirical formula is Pb1.91C1.05O4.00. The calculated density for the empirical formula is 7.31 and for the idealized formula is 7.59 g/cm3. In reflected light, shannonite is colourless-grey to white, with ubiquitous white internal reflections (× 16 objectives), weak anisotropy, barely detectable bireflectance, and no evidence of pleochroism. The calculated refractive index (at 590 nm) is 2.09. Measured reflectance values in air and in oil (× 4 objectives) are tabulated. Transmission electron-microscopy studies reveal that individual crystallites range in size from 10–400 nm, are platy, and are anhedral. Physical properties for cryptocrystalline crusts include: white streak; waxy lustre; opaque; nonfluorescent under both long- and short-wave ultraviolet light; uneven fracture; brittle; VHN100 97 (range 93–100); calculated Mohs’ hardness 3–3½. Shannonite is soluble in concentrated HCl and in dilute HNO3 and H2SO4. The mineral name is for David M. Shannon, who helped collect the samples and who initiated this study.

Descloizite, cuprian descloizite, and mottramite from most of the known prospects and mines in the Otavi Mountain Land were sampled and subsequently analysed chemically and by X-ray diffraction. Unit cell parameters were refined with the aid of a computer program. It was found that, contrary to previous opinion, chemical parameters of these vanadates can be deduced from their X-ray powder data according to the equations (correlation coefficients in parenthesis):

ZnO = 75.369c−0.119b−31.177a−456.512(0.9634)

Zn2+ = 369.568c + 236.583b − 146.42a − 3726.344 (0.9642)

CuO = − 74.991c + 0.086b + 29.419a + 486.204 (0.9649)

Cu2+ = − 369.568c − 236.583b + 146.420c + 3826.344 (0.9642).

Juabite, ideally Cu5(Te6+O4)2(As5+O4)2·3H2O, is triclinic, space-group choices P1(1) or P(2), with unit-cell parameters refined from powder data: a = 8.984(5), b = 10.079(7), c = 8.975(5) Å, α = 102.68(7)°, β = 92.45(6)°, γ = 70.45(5)° V = 746.8(8) Å3, a:b:c = 0.8914:1:0.8905, Z = 2. The strongest seven reflections of the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern [d in Å (I)(hkl)] are: 9.28 (70)(010), 4.65 (70)(020), 3.097 (100)(030,11), 3.018 (60)(212), 2.658 (50)(01), 2.468 (50)(2) and 1.740 (50)(1, 521, 5). The mineral is an extremely rare constituent on the dumps of the Centennial Eureka mine, Juab County, Utah, U.S.A., where it occurs as crystalline platy masses that average 0.2–0.3 mm in longest dimension within small interconnected vugs of drusy quartz. Associated minerals are enargite, beudantite, and an undefined, possible Pb-analogue of arsenobismite. Individual crystals are subhedral to euhedral and average 125 × 100 × 1–2 µm in size. Cleavage {010} perfect. Forms are: {010} major; {100}, {01}, and {101} minor. The mineral is translucent (masses) to transparent (crystals), emerald-green, with a pale green streak, and an uneven to subconchoidal fracture. Juabite is vitreous to adamantine (almost gemmy) on cleavage faces, brittle, and nonfluorescent; H (Mohs) 3–4; D (calc.) 4.59 g/cm3 for the idealised formula. In polished section, juabite is white in plane-polarised reflected light in air with ubiquitous turquoise-blue internal reflections; bireflectance and anisotropy are unknown (due to interference from internal reflections). Averaged electronmicroprobe analyses yielded CuO 38.25, PbO 0.57, TeO3 32.58, As2O5 22.81, H2O (calc. assuming 3H2O) [5.19], total [99.40] wt.%, leading to the empirical formula (Cu5.01Pb0.03)Σ5.04(TeO4)l.93(AsO4)2.07·3.00H2O based on O = 19. The infrared absorption spectrum shows definite bands for structural H2O with an O-H stretching frequency centred at 3283 cm−1 and a H-O-H flexing frequency centred at 1642 cm−1. The mineral name is for the county within the state of Utah in which the Centennial Eureka mine is located.

Feinglosite, the zinc analogue of arsenbrackebuschite, was found lining a cavity in a sample of massive chalcocite from Tsumeb, Namibia. In this cavity it is associated with wulfenite, anglesite and goethite. The mean of seven electron-microprobe analyses (wt.%) is: PbO 61.4, ZnO 7.3, FeO 1.8, As2O5 22.1, SO3 5.3, H2O (by difference) [2.1], total = [100.00]%, leading to the ideal formula: Pb2(Zn,Fe)[(As,S)O4]·H2O. Feinglosite is monoclinic, space group P21 or P21/m, a 8.973(6), b 5.955(3), c 7.766(6) Å, β 112.20(6)°, with Z = 2. The strongest five reflections of the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are [d in Å (I) (hkl)]: 4.85 (50) (110), 3.246 (100) (112), 2.988 (60) (301), 2.769 (60) (300/211), 2.107 (50) (321). The mineral is pale olive-green, transparent, sectile, and has a white streak and adamantine lustre. It overgrows clusters of goethite crystals and forms globular microcrystalline aggregates up to 0.5–0.75mm in size. The hardness on Mohs' scale is 4–5: the mean micro-indentation hardness is 263 at VHN100. Its calculated density is 6.52 g cm−3. The mineral is pale brownish grey in reflected light (when compared with goethite). Visible spectrum reflectance data are presented. Feinglosite is named for Mark N. Feinglos who first recognised the mineral on a specimen in his collection.

Chrisstanleyite, Ag2Pd3Se4, is a new mineral from gold-bearing carbonate veins in Middle Devonian limestones at Hope's Nose, Torquay, Devon, England. It is associated with palladian and argentian gold, fischesserite, clausthalite, eucairite, tiemannite, umangite, a Pd arsenide-antimonide (possibly mertieite II), cerussite, calcite and bromian chlorargyrite. Also present in the assemblage is a phase similar to oosterboschite, and two unknown minerals with the compositions, PdSe2 and HgPd2Se3. Chrisstanleyite occurs as composite grains of anhedral crystals ranging from a few µm to several hundred µm in size. It is opaque, has a metallic lustre and a black streak, VHN100 ranges from 371–421, mean 395 kp/mm2 (15 indentations), roughly approximating to a Mohs hardness of 5. Dcalc = 8.308 g/cm3 for the ideal formula with Z = 2. In plane-polarised reflected light, the mineral is very slightly pleochroic from very light buff to slightly grey-green buff; is weakly bireflectant and has no internal reflections. Bireflectance is weak to moderate (higher in oil). Anisotropy is moderate and rotation tints vary from rose-brown to grey-green to pale bluish grey to dark steel-blue. Polysynthetic twinning is characteristic of the mineral. Reflectance spectra and colour values are tabulated. Very little variation was noted in eleven electron-microprobe analyses on five grains, the mean is: Ag 25.3, Cu 0.17, Pd 37.5, Se 36.4, total 99.37 wt.%. The empirical formula (on the basis of ∑M + Se = 9) is (Ag2.01Cu0.02)∑2.03 Pd3.02Se3.95, ideally Ag2Pd3Se4. Chrisstanleyite is monoclinic, a 6.350(6), b 10.387(4), c 5.683(3) Å β 114.90(5)°, space group P21/m (11) or P21(4). The five strongest X-ray powder-diffraction lines [d in Å (I)(hkl)] are: 2.742 (100) (–121), 2.688 (80) (–221), 2.367 (50) (140), 1.956 (100) (–321,150) and 1.829 (30) (–321, 042). The name is in honour of Dr Chris J. Stanley of The Natural History Museum in London. The mineral and its name have been approved by the Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names of the International Mineralogical Association.

Criddleite, ideally TlAg2Au3Sb10S10, is a rare constituent within the Hemlo gold deposit, Hemlo, Ontario, Canada. The mineral occurs as 20 to 50 µm-sized lath-like, tabular or anhedral grains usually surrounding or penetrating aurostibite, or associated with native antimony, native gold and stibnite. Criddleite is opaque with a metallic lustre and a black streak. It has been synthesized by reacting TlSbS2 and high purity Ag, Au, Sb and S in an evacuated silica glass tube at 400 °C. The measured density of the synthetic material is 6.86; the calculated density is 6.57 g/cm3. The difference is due to minor admixed aurostibite, native antimony and a dyscrasite-like phase within the charge. VHN25 is 94–129. Mohs hardness (calc.) = 3–3 ½. In reflected plane-polarized light in air, natural criddleite is weakly bireflectant with a discernible reflectance pleochroism from grey-blue to slightly greenish grey-blue. The mineral has a distinct to moderate anisotropy with rotation tints in shades of buff to slate grey. Reflectance spectra and colour values for both natural and synthetic criddleite are given. X-ray study showed that synthetic criddleite is monoclinic (pseudotetragonal) with refined unit-cell parameters a = 20.015(2), b = 8.075(2), c = 7.831(2) Å, β = 92.01(2)°, V = 1264.9 ± 1.0 Å3 and a:b:c = 2.4786: 1:0.9698. The space group choices are A2/m(12), A2(5) or Am(8), diffraction aspect A*/*. The seven strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern [d in Å (I) (hkl)] are: 5.63(90) (011), 3.91(50) (002), 3.456(50) (320), 2.860(70) (700), 2.813(100) (022), 2.018(60) (040) and 1.959(70) (004). Electron microprobe analyses are reported of natural criddleite in five polished sections of drill core from four holes. The averaged empirical formulae, based on 26 atoms, are Tl0.92Ag1.99Au2.93Sb9.87S10.28 (natural) and Tl0.94Ag2.03Au2.89Sb9.76S10.38 (synthetic).

Benleonardite, ideally Ag8(Sb,As)Te2S3 with Sb > As, is a new mineral species that occurs in ore specimens collected from the dumps of the disused Bambolla mine, Moctezuma, Mexico. The associated minerals are acanthite, hessite, an unnamed Ag4TeS phase, pyrite, sphalerite, and native silver. Together with benleonardite, these form thin black crusts in fractures filled with quartz and dolomite in highly altered, tuffaceous, andesitic and rhyolitic rocks. Benleonardite is an opaque mineral and, in reflected plane-polarized light in air, it is weakly bireflectant from very pale light blue to slightly darker blue. It is not pleochroic. Luminance values (relative to the CIE illuminant C) for Ro and R′e computed from visible spectrum reflectance data for the most bireflectant grain, are 33.6 and 31.7% in air, and 18.3 and 16.5% in Zeiss oil (ND 1.515) respectively. Vickers micro-indentation hardness is 105–125 (VHN25). The X-ray powder diffraction pattern could be indexed on a tetragonal cell with a 6.603(5) and c 12.726(6) Å; for Z = 2, the calculated density is 7.79 g/cm2 for the average analysis. The strongest five lines in the X-ray powder pattern are [d in Å (I) (hkl): 12.7 (70) (001); 3.188 (30) (021,004); 2.936 (100) (022); 2.608 (35) (023); 2.158 (35) (124).

Silvialite, ideally Ca4Al6Si6O24SO4, is tetragonal, I4/m, Z = 2, with a = 12.160(3), c = 7.560(1) Å, V = 1117.9(8) Å3, c:a = 0.6217:1, ω = 1.583, ε = 1.558 (uniaxial negative), Dm = 2.75 g/cm3, Dcalc = 2.769 g/cm3 and H (Mohs) = 5.5. It is transparent and slightly yellow, has a good {100} cleavage, chonchoidal fracture, white streak and a vitreous lustre. It occurs in upper-mantle garnet-granulite xenoliths hosted by olivine nephelinite, from McBride Province, North Queensland, Australia. The empirical formula, derived from electron-microprobe analysis, is (Na1.06Ca2.86)(Al4.87Si7.13)O24 [(SO4)0.57(CO3)0.41]. Crystal-structure refinement shows disordered carbonate and sulfate groups along the fourfold axis. Silvialite is a primary cumulate phase precipitated from alkali basalt at 900–1000°C and 8–12 kbar under high fSO2 and fO2. The name silvialite, currently used in literature to describe the sulfate analogue of meionite, was suggested by Brauns (1914).

The new mineral, dyrnaesite-(La), is found in the Ilímaussaq alkaline complex, South Greenland. The holotype material originates from an arfvedsonite lujavrite sheet as an accessory mineral. Dyrnaesite-(La) is pale yellowish green, with no cleavage and an irregular fracture. Density is 3.68(2)/3.682 g/cm3 (measured/ calculated). It is biaxial, negative, 2Vα = 47(1)/48 (measured/calculated); α = 1.6226(5), β = 1.6852(10), γ = 1.6982(2); X = c, Y = a, Z = b. The average values of microprobe analyses are (wt.%) P2O5 37.17, SiO2 0.15, CaO 0.90, Na2O 20.06, La2O3 16.44, CeO2 20.23, Pr2O3 1.40, Nd2O3 3.47, Sm2O3 0.24, Dy2O3 0.06, Y2O3 0.06.

The crystal structure was solved from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Dyrnaesite-(La) is orthorhombic, Pnma; a = 18.4662(7) Å, b = 16.0106(5) Å, c = 7.0274(2) Å, V = 2077.7(2) Å3, Z = 4. The structural formula calculated from the diffraction data and microprobe analysis is Na7.89(Ce0.94Ca0.06)∑1.00(Ca0.12La1.14Ce0.40Pr0.10Nd0.24)∑2.00(PO4)6, the simplified formula is Na8Ce4+REE2(PO4)6. The crystal structure is related closely to that of vitusite-(Ce), but is distinct from it in several aspects. The five strongest lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern are (d Å, (I %), (hkl)); 6.57 (100) (101), 4.62 (40) (301, 230, 400), 3.50 (40) (331), 2.80 (86) (232, 402), 2.67 (54) (060,630).