Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 13, 2026

Rickardite

Rickardite is a telluride mineral, a copper telluride (Cu7Te5) or Cu3-x (x = 0 to 0.36)Te2. It was first described for an occurrence in the Good Hope Mine, Vulcan district, Gunnison County, Colorado, US, and named for mining engineer Thomas Arthur Rickard (1864–1953). It is a low temperature hydrothermal mineral that occurs associated with vulcanite, native tellurium, cameronite, petzite, sylvanite, berthierite, pyrite, arsenopyrite and bornite.

Last revised
Jun 13, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
126 w
Citations
6
Source
Rickardite
Rickardite on tellurium
General
CategoryTelluride mineral
FormulaCu7Te5
IMA symbolRkd1
Strunz classification2.BA.30
Crystal systemOrthorhombic
Crystal classDipyramidal (mmm)
H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
Space groupPmmn
Identification
ColorRed-violet (fresh), darkens
Mohs scale hardness3+12
LusterMetallic
StreakRed
DiaphaneityOpaque

Rickardite is a telluride mineral, a copper telluride (Cu7Te5)2 or Cu3-x (x = 0 to 0.36)Te2.3 It was first described for an occurrence in the Good Hope Mine, Vulcan district, Gunnison County, Colorado, US,4 and named for mining engineer Thomas Arthur Rickard (1864–1953).2 It is a low temperature hydrothermal mineral that occurs associated with vulcanite, native tellurium, cameronite, petzite, sylvanite, berthierite, pyrite, arsenopyrite and bornite.3

See also

See also

References

References

  • D. M. Chizhikov and V. P. Shchastlivyi, 1966, Tellurium and Tellurides, Nauka Publishing, Moscow