Arsenopyrite (Reflected Light)

Arsenopyrite (FeAsS) optical properties using a reflected-light polarizing microscope (adapted from Spry & Gedlinske, 1987):

System: Monoclinic

Reflectance: Strong

Colour: White with faint creamy, yellowish, or pinkish tint

VHN and polishing hardness: 715 - 1354 / hard

Pleochroism: Weak

Anisotropism: Strong, but not as strong as loellingite; blue, green, reddish brown-yellow

Internal reflections: Not present

Twinning: Lamellar twinning common

Commonly associated minerals: Chalcopyrite, cobaltite, cubanite, enargite, galena, glaucodot, gold, jamesonite, loellingite, mawsonite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite, stannite, wolframite

Sample from the EOSC424 reflected light sample collection at UBC