Arsenopyrite

Info: Clear arsenopyrite is rare, mostly the arsenopyrite binds with metals as silver or cobalt. Danaite is arsenopyrite with less iron then cobalt. Often crystalizes in long one-clonal forms. It can be found also in massive agregates and grains. Aresnopyrite is opaque, tin-white with from yellow to gray shade and it have strong metalic shine. Its hard and heavy.

How to Recognize: If we hit arsenopyrite with hammer, a sparks will fly away from it, and it will emit typical garlic-like smell of arsen.

Found: The biggest arsenopyrite deposits were found in Boliden in Sweden. Beautifull crystals were found in Trepča (Kosovo) and Panasqueira (Portugal). Known deposits are in Germany, USA and Canada. In Czech Republic small amounts of arsenopyrite were found in Příbramsko, Jáchymovsko, Kutná Hora.

Used for: Mainly for the extraction of arsen, but also for the extraction of silver, gold, cobalt and other metals.