VELIKITE, CU2HGSNS4, THE MERCURY MEMBER OF THE STANNITE GROUP

Abstract

In the middle of the 1970's in the Khaydarkan antimony-mercury deposit, Kirgizia, one of the present writers (Volgin) found a new copper-mercury-tin sulfide. It was called velikite after A.S. Velikiy. The composition of the velikite specimen whose structure had been established was later determined more accurately by microprobe analysis. Velikite in the Khaydarkan deposit forms small grains and crystals of tetragonal-scalenohedral habit, no larger than 1 mm. It is associated with stibnite, metacinnabarite, aktashite, livingstonite, quartz and fluorite. The mineral has a dark-gray color; the luster is metallic, and the streak gray. These and other properties of the mineral, including chemical composition, are discussed and lead to the conclusion that velikite is the mercury member of the stannite group.