Realgar Mineral Data

General Realgar Information

Chemical Formula:

AsS

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 106.99 gm

Arsenic 70.03 % As

Sulfur 29.97 % S

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

AsS

Environment:

Common low-temperature hydrothermal vein mineral associated with As-Sb minerals.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1747

Locality:

Zarshuran Mine, Azarbayjan-e Khavari, Takab (Takan Tepe), Iran. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Arabic, rahj al ghar, "powder of the mine;"

Name Pronunciation:

Realgar

Synonym:

ICSD 15238

PDF 41-1494

Realgar Image

Images:

Duranusite Realgar

Comments: Small black Duranusite in orange-red realgar matrix.
Location: Duranus, Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. Scale: Picture size 1.3 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Images:

Realgar

Comments: Sharp, dark red crystals of realgar to 2 cm on calcite.
Location: Hunan Province, Chin. Scale: Crystal size 2 cm.
© John Attard

Images:

Rebulite Realgar

Comments: Dark gray rebulite grain in red, massive realgar.
Location: Allchar, Roszdan, FYR Macedonia. Scale: Picture size 4 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Images:

Vrbaite Realgar

Comments: Black grain of vrbaite in red realgar matrix.
Location: Allchar, Roszdan, FYR Macedonia. Scale: Picture size 1.7 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Realgar Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.6866:1:0.4855

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.29, b = 13.53, c = 6.57, Z = 16; beta = 106.883° V = 790.22 Den(Calc)= 3.60

Crystal System:

Monoclinic - Prismatic H-M Symbol (2/m) Space Group: P 2₁/n

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 5.4(1), 3.19(0.9), 2.73(0.8),2.94(0.8), 1.859(0.6), 2.14(0.5), 2.49(0.5),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 1 2 0) ( 1 1 1) ( 0 1 1) ( 1 0 1) ( 1 1 0) ( 0 0 1)

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Physical Properties of Realgar

Cleavage:

{010} Good

Color:

Aurora red, Orange yellow, Dark red.

Density:

3.56

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to translucent

Fracture:

Sectile - Curved shavings or scrapings produced by a knife blade, (e.g. graphite).

Habit:

Druse - Crystal growth in a cavity which results in numerous crystal tipped surfaces.

Habit:

Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.

Habit:

Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).

Hardness:

1.5-2 - Talc-Gypsum

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Sub Metallic

Streak:

orange

Optical Properties of Realgar

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=2.538, b=2.684, g=2.704, bire=0.1660, 2V(Calc)=38, 2V(Meas)=40. Dispersion r > v very strong.

Pleochroism (x):

dark red.

Pleochroism (y):

dark red.

Pleochroism (z):

orange red.

RL Anisotrophism:

Strong, in polished sections.

RL Color:

Gray white with abundant yellow to red internal reflections.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Realgar in Air**
λ	R	∑ R(λ)
400 nm	23.30
420 nm	23.00
440 nm	22.70
460 nm	22.30
480 nm	21.80
500 nm	21.20
520 nm	20.60
540 nm	20.10
560 nm	19.70
580 nm	19.40
600 nm	19.10
620 nm	19.00
640 nm	18.80
660 nm	18.60
680 nm	18.50
700 nm	18.40

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Realgar in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	50%	100%	150%	200%	250%	300%	350%	400%	450%	460%
R

Calculated Properties of Realgar

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.30 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Realgar =3.60 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0022478773
Boson Index = 0.9977521227

Photoelectric:

PE_Realgar= 51.07 barns/electron
U=PE_Realgar x rElectron Density= 168.41 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Realgar is Not Radioactive

Realgar Classification

Dana Class:

02.08.22.01 (02)Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides

(02.08)where Am Bn Xp, with (m+n):p=1:1

(02.08.22)Realgar Series

02.08.22.01 Realgar AsS P 2₁/n 2/m

02.08.22.02 Pararealgar AsS P 2₁/c 2/m

02.08.22.03 Uzonite As4S5 P 2₁/m 2/m

02.08.22.04 Alacranite As8S9 P 2/c 2/m

Strunz Class:

02.FA.15a 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.F - Sulfides of Arsenic, Alkalies; Sulfides with Halide, Oxide, Hydroxide, H2O

02.FA -With As, (Sb), S

02.FA.15a Realgar AsS P 2₁/n 2/m

Other Realgar Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic1) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Realgar :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
7 - GeoScienceWorld
8 - Glendale Community College
9 - Google Images
10 - Google Scholar
11 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
12 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
13 - MinDAT
14 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
15 - Online Mineral Museum
16 - Philatelic Mineralogy
17 - QUT Mineral Atlas
18 - Ruff.Info
19 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Realgar Specimen Label here :

Realgar

AsS
Dana No: 02.08.22.01 Strunz No: 02.FA.15a
Locality:

Notes:

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