Kostovite

Kostovite
General
Category	Telluride mineral
Formula (repeating unit)	AuCuTe4
Strunz classification	02.EA.15 2/D.16-10
Dana classification	02.12.13.4
Crystal system	Orthorhombic
Identification
Color	Grayish white
Twinning	Fine lamellar
Cleavage	Distinct/good
Tenacity	Brittle
Mohs scale hardness	2 - 2.5
Luster	Metallic
Diaphaneity	Opaque
Specific gravity	7.94
Optical properties	Anisotropic
Pleochroism	Visible
References	[1][2][3][4][5]

Kostovite is a rare orthorhombic-pyramidal gray white telluride mineral containing copper and gold with chemical formula AuCuTe₄.^[1][2][3]

Exhibition of Kostovite in the National Natural History Museum, Sofia, Bulgaria

It was discovered by Bulgarian mineralogist Georgi Terziev (Георги Терзиев) (1935–1972), who named it in honor of his professor Ivan Kostov (Иван Костов) (1913–2004).^[6][7] In 1965 kostovite was approved as a new species by the International Mineralogical Association.^[8] The type locality is the Chelopech copper ore deposit, Bulgaria.^[9] Small deposits have also been found in Kochbulak (Eastern Uzbekistan), Commoner mine (Zimbabwe), Kamchatka (Russian Far East), Ashanti (Ghana), Buckeye Gulch (Leadville, Colorado, US), Bisbee (Arizona, US),^[10] Kutemajärvi (Finland), Coranda-Hondol (Romania), Glava (Sweden), Bereznjakovskoje (Southern Urals, Russia), Moctezuma (Sonora, Mexico), Panormos Bay (Tinos Island, Greece), Guilaizhuang Mine, Tongshi complex (Linyi Prefecture, Shandong Province, China), Kalgoorlie-Boulder City, (Goldfields-Esperance region, Western Australia, Australia).^[11]

See also

List of minerals named after people

References

1. Handbook of Mineralogy information page for Kostovite
2. Mindat information page for Kostovite
3. Webmineral information page for Kostovite
4. Information about Kostovite at RRUFF Database
5. Kostovite (IMA 1965-002) at Mineralienatlas Lexicon
6. G. Terziev (1966), “Kostovite, A Gold-Copper Telluride from Bulgaria”, The American Mineralogist, vol. 51, Jan-Feb. 1966, 29-36.
7. M.H.Hey(1966), "Twenty-fourth list of new mineral names", Mineralogical Magazine, vol.36, Dec., 1126-1162, at 1140.
8. "International Mineralogical Association: Commission on New Minerals and New Names", Mineralogical Magazine, vol. 36, 1968, 1143-45.
9. Information about Chelopech Au-Cu Mine, Chelopech, Sofiya Oblast (Sofia Oblast), Bulgaria at Mindat.org
10. Kostovite at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
11. Ivan K. Bonev, Rumen Petrunov, Nigel J. Cook, Cristiana L. Ciobanu (2005), "Kostovite and its argentian varieties: Deposits and mineral associations", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Petrology, 42, 1-22.

Further reading

• G. Van Tendeloo; S. Amelinckx (1986). "High-resolution electron-microscopic study of the modulated structure of kostovite". Acta Crystallographica 42: 121–130. doi:10.1107/S0108768186098488.