Germanium minerals

Germanite is a rare copper iron germanium sulfide mineral, Cu26Fe4Ge4S32. It was first discovered in 1922, and named for its germanium content. It is only a minor source of this important semiconductor element, which is mainly derived from the processing of the zinc sulfide mineral sphalerite. Germanite contains gallium, zinc, molybdenum, arsenic, and vanadium as impurities.

Argyrodite is an uncommon silver germanium sulfide mineral with formula Ag8GeS6. The color is iron-black with a purplish tinge, and the luster metallic.

Argutite (GeO2) is a rare germanium oxide mineral. It is a member of the rutile group.

Briartite is an opaque iron-grey metallic sulfide mineral, with traces of Ga and Sn, found as inclusions in other germanium-gallium-bearing sulfides.

Renierite is a rare copper zinc germanium bearing sulfide mineral with the chemical formula . It occurs at the Kipushi Mine, Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Namibia, among other places.

Bartelkeite is an exceptionally rare mineral, one of scarce natural germanium compounds. The formula was originally assumed to be PbFeGe3O8, bartelkeite was later shown to be isostructural with a high-pressure form of the mineral lawsonite. Thus, its correct formula is PbFeGe(Ge2O7)(OH)2•H2O. Bartelkeite and mathewrogersite are minerals with essential (dominant) lead, iron and germanium. Both come from Tsumeb, Namibia - a world's "capital" of germanium minerals.

Krieselite is a newly discovered naturally occurring mineral. Found in the Tsumeb mine in Tsumeb, Namibia at an unknown date and unknown depth, the mineral was first cataloged in 1994. Following the acceptance as a new mineral by the International Mineralogical Association in 2003, the material has been matched to unknown samples from the same mine in Namibia from 1972.