chlorargyrite
Sign in to saveAlso known as cerargyrite
Chlorargyrite is the mineral form of silver chloride (AgCl). Chlorargyrite occurs as a secondary mineral phase in the oxidation of silver mineral deposits. It crystallizes in the isometric–hexoctahedral crystal class. Typically massive to columnar in occurrence it also has been found as colorless to variably yellow cubic crystals. The color changes to brown or purple on exposure to light. It is quite soft with a Mohs hardness of 1 to 2 and dense with a specific gravity of 5.55. It is also known as cerargyrite and, when weathered by desert air, as horn silver. Bromian chlorargyrite (or embolite
Key facts
- Mineral.name
- Chlorargyrite
- Mineral.image
- Chlorargyrite-Embolite-rh3-10a.jpg
- Mineral.imagesize
- 260px
- Mineral.category
- Halide
- Mineral.formula
- AgCl
- Mineral.IMAsymbol
- Cag
- Mineral.strunz
- 3.AA.15
- Mineral.system
- Isometric
- Mineral.class
- Hexoctahedral (mm) H-M symbol (4/m 2/m)
- Mineral.symmetry
- Fmm
- Mineral.color
- Colorless when fresh; alters to bright chartreuse-green, light yellow, light green, grey, violet-brown on exposure to light
- Mineral.habit
- Massive to columnar
- Mineral.fracture
- Irregular/uneven, sub-conchoidal
- Mineral.tenacity
- Sectile
- Mineral.mohs
- 1.5–2.5
- Mineral.luster
- Adamantine, resinous, waxy
- Mineral.streak
- White
- Mineral.gravity
- 5.556
via Wikipedia infobox
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Chlorargyrite is the mineral form of silver chloride (AgCl). Chlorargyrite occurs as a secondary mineral phase in the oxidation of silver mineral deposits. It crystallizes in the isometric–hexoctahedral crystal class. Typically massive to columnar in occurrence it also has been found as colorless to variably yellow cubic crystals. The color changes to brown or purple on exposure to light. It is quite soft with a Mohs hardness of 1 to 2 and dense with a specific gravity of 5.55. It is also known as cerargyrite and, when weathered by desert air, as horn silver. Bromian chlorargyrite (or embolite) is also common. Chlorargyrite is water-insoluble.
It occurs associated with native silver, cerussite, iodargyrite, atacamite, malachite, jarosite and various iron–manganese oxides.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “chlorargyrite” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.