Tilkerodeite, Pd₂HgSe₃, a New Platinum-Group Mineral from Tilkerode, Harz Mountains, Germany

Abstract

Tilkerodeite, ideally Pd₂HgSe₃, is a new platinum-group selenide from the Eskaborner Stollen (Adit Eskaborn) at Tilkerode, Harz Mountains, Germany. Tilkerodeite crystals occur as euhedral inclusions in tiemannite or as extremely fine-grained lamellar aggregates (grain-size up to 3 μm) in a dolomite–ankerite matrix, together with clausthalite, tiemannite, jacutingaite, stibiopalladinite, and native gold. Neighbouring Se-bearing minerals include tischendorfite and chrisstanleyite. Tilkerodeite is opaque with a metallic luster, and is flexible in blade-like crystals, with perfect basal cleavage {001}. In plane-polarized light, tilkerodeite is brownish-grey. It is weakly bireflectant, and weakly pleochroic in shades of light-brown and grey. The anisotropy is weak, with rotation tints in weak shades of greenish-brown and grey-brown. The range of reflectance is estimated in comparison to clausthalite with 45–50%. Electron-microprobe analyses yield the mean composition (wt %) Se 32.68, Hg 26.33, Pt 20.62, Pd 15.89, Pb 2.72, Cu 0.66, S 0.27, total 99.17 wt%. The empirical formula (based on six atoms pfu) is (Pd_(1.08)Pt_(0.76)Pb_(0.09)Cu_(0.07))_(Σ2.00)Hg_(0.95)(Se_(2.98)S_(0.07))_(Σ3.05). The ideal formula is Pd₂HgSe₃. Tilkerodeite is trigonal, with Pt₄Tl₂Te₆-type structure, space group P3–m1, a = 7.325(9) Å, c = 5.288(6) Å, V = 245.7(9) ų, and Z = 2. It is the Pd-analogue of jacutingaite. Tilkerodeite formed hydrothermally, possibly involving the alteration of tiemannite by low-temperature oxidizing fluids. The new species has been approved by the IMA-CNMNC (2019-111) and is named after the locality. Tilkerode is the most important selenide-bearing occurrence in Germany and type locality of naumannite, eskebornite, and tischendorfite.

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