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Argentite was primarily treated as a mineral
Mineral

A mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through Geology processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties....
 belonging to the galena
Galena

Galena is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important lead ore mineral.Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals....
 group, cubic silver
Silver

Silver is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal....
 sulfide
Sulfide

The term sulfide refers to several types of chemical compounds containing sulfur in its lowest oxidation number of −2.Formally, "sulfide" is the dianion, S2−, which exists in strongly alkaline aqueous solutions formed from H2S or alkali metal salts such as Li2S, Na2S, and K2...
 (Ag2S
Silver sulfide

Silver sulfide , Ag2S, is a black sulfide of silver. It is black and constitutes the tarnish that forms on silver when exposed to the hydrogen sulfide of the atmosphere....
), occasionally found as uneven cube
Cube

A cube is a three-dimensional space solid object bounded by six square faces, facets or sides, with three meeting at each wikt:vertex. The cube can also be called a Regular polyhedron hexahedron and is one of the five Platonic solids....
s and octahedra
Octahedron

An octahedron is a polyhedron with eight faces. A regular octahedron is a Platonic solid composed of eight equilateral triangles, four of which meet at each wikt:vertex....
, but more often as dendritic or earthy masses, with a blackish lead-grey color and metallic lustre.






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Argentite Unit Cell 3d Balls
Argentite was primarily treated as a mineral
Mineral

A mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through Geology processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties....
 belonging to the galena
Galena

Galena is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important lead ore mineral.Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals....
 group, cubic silver
Silver

Silver is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal....
 sulfide
Sulfide

The term sulfide refers to several types of chemical compounds containing sulfur in its lowest oxidation number of −2.Formally, "sulfide" is the dianion, S2−, which exists in strongly alkaline aqueous solutions formed from H2S or alkali metal salts such as Li2S, Na2S, and K2...
 (Ag2S
Silver sulfide

Silver sulfide , Ag2S, is a black sulfide of silver. It is black and constitutes the tarnish that forms on silver when exposed to the hydrogen sulfide of the atmosphere....
), occasionally found as uneven cube
Cube

A cube is a three-dimensional space solid object bounded by six square faces, facets or sides, with three meeting at each wikt:vertex. The cube can also be called a Regular polyhedron hexahedron and is one of the five Platonic solids....
s and octahedra
Octahedron

An octahedron is a polyhedron with eight faces. A regular octahedron is a Platonic solid composed of eight equilateral triangles, four of which meet at each wikt:vertex....
, but more often as dendritic or earthy masses, with a blackish lead-grey color and metallic lustre. All these forms are structurally not argentite, but its monoclinic polymorph, acanthite. Due to instability in normal air temperature, the IMA
Ima

is the debut album by electronica artist Brian Transeau. It was released in 1995. The album is considered a major stepping stone in trance music, popularizing a more progressive music approach....
 commission decided to reject this mineral, which now is a discredited mineral species. The cubic cleavage
Cleavage (crystal)

Cleavage, in mineralogy, is the tendency of crystalline materials to split along definite Crystallography structural planes. These planes of relative weakness are a result of the regular locations of atoms and ions in the crystal, which create smooth repeating surfaces that are visible both in the microscope and to the naked eye....
, which is so prominent a feature in galena, here present only in traces. The mineral is perfectly sectile and has a shining streak; hardness 2.5, specific gravity 7.3. It occurs in mineral veins, and when found in large masses, as in is Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
 and in the Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode

The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. deposit of silver ore, discovered under what is now Virginia City, Nevada on the eastern slope of Mt....
 in Nevada
Nevada

Nevada is a U.S. state located in the Western United States of the United States of America. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas, Nevada....
, it forms an important ore
Ore

An ore is a type of Rock that contains minerals such as gemstones and metals that can be extracted through mining and refined for use. Samples of ore in the form of exceptionally beautiful crystals, exotic layering visible when sectioned or polished or metallic presentations such as large nuggets or crystalline formations of metals suc...
 of silver. The mineral was mentioned 1529 by G. Agricola, but the name argentite (from the Lat.
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 argentum, silver) was not used till 1845 and is due to W. Haidinger. Old names for the species are Glaserz, silver-glance and vitreous silver. A related Cu-rich mineral occurring i.e. in Jalpa
Jalpa

Jalpa may refer to:*Jalpa, Palpa*Jalpa, Zacatecas...
, Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
, is known as jalpaite.

Acanthite, also Ag2S, crystallizes in the monoclinic system and is the stable form below 177oC. As argentite cools below that temperature its cubic form is distorted to the monclinic form of acanthite. Thus, only acanthite is stable in normal air temperature and only this form is naturally found.