Sphalerite

Sphalerite
Sphalerite
General
Category	Sulfide meeneral
Formula (repeatin unit)	(Zn,Fe)S
Strunz clessification	02.CB.05a
Dana clessification	02.08.02.01
Creestal seestem	Isometric hextetrahedral (4 3m)
Identification
Colour	Broun, yellae, reid, green, black.
Creestal habit	Euhedral crystals – occurs as well-formed crystals shawin guid external form. Granular – generally occurs as anhedral tae subhedral crystals in matrix.
Twinnin	Simple contact twins or complex lamellar forms, twin axis [111]
Cleavage	perfect
Fractur	Uneven tae conchoidal
Mohs scale haurdness	3.5-4
Skinkle	Adamantine, resinous, greasy
Streak	brounish white, fauch yellae
Diaphaneity	Skyre tae leamish, opaque whan iron-rich
Speceefic gravity	3.9–4.2
Optical properties	Isotropic
Refractive index	nα = 2.369
Ither chairacteristics	non-radioactive, non-magnetic, fluorescent an triboluminescent.
References	[1][2][3]

Sphalerite ((Zn,Fe)S) is a meeneral that is the chief ore o zinc. It consists lairgely o zinc sulfide in crystalline furm but naur aye contains variable iron. Whan iron content is heich it is an opaque black variety, marmatite. It is uisually foond in association wi galena, pyrite, an ither sulfides alang wi calcite, dolomite, an fluorite. Whiles, miners refer tae sphalerite as zinc blende, black-jack, an ruby jack.