argentite

mineral

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

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Argentite is a dark gray or black mineral with a metallic luster that is a sulfide of silver and a valuable silver ore. It is the high-temperature form of acanthite, which is a silver sulfide mineral and an important ore of silver. Argentite crystallizes in isometric (cubic) structures at high temperatures and inverts to monoclinic structures upon cooling, without changing its external appearance. This mineral is found in silver deposits in various locations, including Norway, Slovakia, Mexico, and Nevada, USA.12

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acanthite
Argentite is the high-temperature form of acanthite. Like several other sulfides, selenides, and tellurides of silver and copper, argentite forms isometric crystals at high temperatures. Upon cooling these crystals invert from isometric (cubic) to monoclinic structures while remaining unchanged in external appearance. For detailed physical…
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Argentite is the high-temperature form of acanthite. Like several other sulfides, selenides, and tellurides of silver and copper, argentite forms isometric crystals at high temperatures. Upon cooling these crystals invert from isometric (cubic) to monoclinic structures while remaining unchanged in external appearance. For detailed physical…
Read More