| Aikinite | |
| Category: | Sulfide mineral |
| Formula: | Pb Cu Bi S3 |
| Imasymbol: | Aik[1] |
| Molweight: | 575.92 g/mol |
| Strunz: | 2.HB.05a |
| Dana: | 3.4.5.1 |
| System: | Orthorhombic |
| Class: | Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
| Symmetry: | Pnma |
| Unit Cell: | a = 11.297, b = 11.654 c = 4.061 [Å], Z = 4 |
| Color: | Lead gray, grayish black, reddish brown |
| Habit: | Acicular, massive |
| Cleavage: | indistinct |
| Mohs: | 2–2.5 |
| Luster: | Metallic |
| Streak: | Grayish black |
| Gravity: | 6.1–6.8, Average = 6.44 |
| Diaphaneity: | Opaque |
| Other: | Not radioactive |
| References: | [2] [3] |
Aikinite is a sulfide mineral of lead, copper and bismuth with formula Pb Cu Bi S3. It forms black to grey or reddish brown acicular orthorhombic crystals with a Mohs hardness of 2 to 2.5 and a specific gravity of 6.1 to 6.8. It was originally found in 1843 in the Beryozovskoye deposit, Ural Mountains. It is named after Arthur Aikin (1773–1854), an English geologist.
It has been found in Western Tasmania, in mines located near Dundas, Tasmania