Arsenopyrite is the principal ore of arsenic and one of the great supporting species of the Hunan tungsten-fluorite belt. Sharp silvery prisms – needle-thin or stout, single or in radiating sprays – frequently appear with Yaogangxian fluorite and Xianghualing wolframite.
Key Facts
- Mohs hardness 5.5-6 – similar to feldspar.
- Specific gravity 6.07 – heavy and metallic.
- Smell of garlic when struck or heated (the As is volatile).
- Tarnishes to brassy or iridescent purple over months.
- Hunan supplies a major share of global collector-grade specimens.
The Chinese Angle
Yaogangxian and Xianghualing in Hunan produce sharp arsenopyrite prisms (often 2-8 cm) on milky quartz, frequently in combination with green fluorite cubes. Specimen-grade material from these districts is the international reference for the species.
Found at these Localities
- Bou Azzer District (布·阿扎尔钴矿区)
- Erzgebirge / Krušné Hory (埃尔茨山脉/克鲁什内山(德捷边境矿带))
- Příbram (普日布拉姆银矿)
- Cornwall Mining District (康沃尔矿区)
- Cobalt, Ontario (安大略科博尔特银矿)
- Panasqueira (帕纳斯凯拉钨矿)
- Llallagua (Siglo XX) (亚亚瓜矿)
- Dachang Tin-Polymetallic Field (大厂锡多金属矿田)
- Xianghualing Mine (香花岭)
- Yaogangxian Mine (瑶岗仙矿)
- Hunan (湖南)
