Named in 1979 by E. M. Spiridonov and T. N. Chvileva in honor of Dr. Marianna Sergeevna Bezsmertnaya (née Yurkevich) (Мариа́нна Серге́евна Безсме́ртная (урожд. Юркевич)) [1915-1991] and Vladimir Vasilyevich Bezsmertny (Влади́мир Васи́льевич Безсме́ртный) [1912-2002], Russian mineralogists.

Type Locality:

ⓘ Aginskoe Au deposit (Aginskoye deposit), Central Kamchatka mining district, Bystrinsky District, Kamchatka Krai, Russia

This page provides mineralogical data about Bezsmertnovite.

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

656

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:656:9

IMA Classification of BezsmertnoviteHide

IMA status:

Approved

First published:

1979

Type description reference:

Spiridonov, E.M., Chvileva, T.N. (1979) Bezsmertnovite, Au4Cu(Te, Pb); a new mineral from the zone of oxidation of deposits of the Far East. Doklady Akademii Nauk SSSR: 249(1): 185-189 (in Russian).

Classification of BezsmertnoviteHide

Strunz-mindat (2025):

2.BA.80

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
B : Metal Sulfides, M: S > 1: 1 (mainly 2: 1)
A : With Cu, Ag, Au

Dana 8th ed.:

2.1.5.1

2 : SULFIDES
1 : A_mX_p, with m:p > 3:1

Hey's CIM Ref.:

3.3.11

3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
3 : Sulphides etc. of Au

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Symbol	Source	Reference
Bez	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Physical Properties of BezsmertnoviteHide

Lustre:

Metallic

Transparency:

Opaque

Colour:

Yellow

Hardness:

4½ on Mohs scale

Hardness:

VHN₂₀=310 - 374 kg/mm² - Vickers

Density:

16.3 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Optical Data of BezsmertnoviteHide

Anisotropism:

Weak in neutral grey shades

Reflectivity:

Wavelength	R₁ (%)
420nm	15.1%
440nm	15.1%
460nm	15.7%
480nm	17.5%
500nm	21.2%
520nm	29.0%
540nm	37.5%
560nm	45.6%
580nm	52.4%
600nm	55.7%
620nm	57.4%
640nm	58.3%
660nm	58.7%
680nm	58.6%
700nm	58.2%

Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 58.7%.

Colour in reflected light:

Bright orange-yellow

Chemistry of BezsmertnoviteHide

Mindat Formula:

(Au,Ag)₄Cu(Te,Pb)

Element Weights:

Element	% weight
Te	13.034 %
Cu	6.491 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.

Elements listed:

Ag, Au, Cu, Pb, Te - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Common Impurities:

Ag,Fe

Crystallography of BezsmertnoviteHide

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic

Cell Parameters:

a = 4.036 Å, b = 4.025 Å, c = 4.061 Å

Ratio:

a:b:c = 1.003 : 1 : 1.009

Unit Cell V:

65.97 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Morphology:

Tabular or irregular grains to 0.2 mm

Comment:

Point Group: n.d.; Space Group: n.d.; Z: n.d.

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
3.30 Å	(70)
2.61 Å	(80)
2.33 Å	(100)
1.744 Å	(85)
1.405 Å	(40)
1.144 Å	(40)
1.073 Å	(40)

Comments:

Aginsk gold telluride deposit, Kamchatka, Far Eastern Region, Russia.

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
High-? alteration and/or metamorphism
33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12])

Type Occurrence of BezsmertnoviteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Aginskoe Au deposit (Aginskoye deposit), Central Kamchatka mining district, Bystrinsky District, Kamchatka Krai, Russia

General Appearance of Type Material:

As tabular or irregular grains, up to 0.2 x 0.05 mm.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

Institute of Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Rare Elements, Moscow; A.E. Fersman Mineralogical Museum, Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 79408.

Geological Setting of Type Material:

Cementation zone of volcanogenic gold telluride deposit.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Bilibinskite

Bogdanovite

Native Gold

Reference:

Synonyms of BezsmertnoviteHide

Bessmertnovite

Bezmertnovite

IMA1979-014

Other Language Names for BezsmertnoviteHide

Dutch:Bezsmertnoviet

German:Bezsmertnovit
Bessmertnovit
Bezmertnovit

Simplified Chinese:碲铜金矿

Spanish:Bessmertnovita
Bezmertnovita
Bezsmertnovita

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

2.BA.	Makotoite	Ag₁₂(Cu₃Au)S₈	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
2.BA.	Alburnite	Ag₈GeTe₂S₄	Iso.
2.BA.	Dzierżanowskite	CaCu₂S₂	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3m1
2.BA.	Xuwenyuanite	Ag₉Fe³⁺Te₂S₄	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.BA.	Orileyite	(Fe,Cu)₂As
2.BA.	Juxingite	Bi₆Cu₁₄₀Fe₃₀S₁₂₅	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.BA.05	Djurleite	Cu₃₁S₁₆	Mon. 2/m
2.BA.05	Geerite	Cu₈S₅	Trig. 3
2.BA.05	Roxbyite	Cu₅₈S₃₂	Tric. 1 : P1
2.BA.05	Chalcocite	Cu₂S	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
2.BA.10	Digenite	Cu₉S₅	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3m
2.BA.10	Anilite	Cu₇S₄	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
2.BA.15	Bornite	Cu₅FeS₄	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbca
2.BA.20	Bellidoite	Cu₂Se	Tet. 4/m : P4₂/n
2.BA.20	Berzelianite	Cu_2-xSe (x ≈ 0.12)	Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
2.BA.25	Athabascaite	Cu₅Se₄	Orth.
2.BA.25	Umangite	Cu₃Se₂	Tet. 4 2m : P4 2₁m
2.BA.30	Rickardite	Cu₇Te₅	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pmmn
2.BA.30	Weissite	Cu_2-xTe	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6/mmm
2.BA.35	Acanthite	Ag₂S	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/m
2.BA.35	Spryite	Ag₈(As³⁺_0.5As⁵⁺_0.5)S₆	Orth. mm2 : Pna2₁
2.BA.40d	UM2003-13-S:AgAuCu	Ag₆AuCu₂S₅
2.BA.40	Mckinstryite	Ag_5-xCu_3+xS₄	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
2.BA.40	Stromeyerite	AgCuS	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
2.BA.42	Honeaite	Au₃TlTe₂	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcm
2.BA.45	Jalpaite	Ag₃CuS₂	Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I4₁/amd
2.BA.45	Selenojalpaite	Ag₃CuSe₂	Tet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : I4₁/amd
2.BA.45	Kurilite	Ag₈Te₃Se	Trig. 3 : R3
2.BA.47	Spiridonovite	(Cu_1-xAg_x)₂Te	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3c1
2.BA.50	Wuyanzhiite	Cu₂S	Tet. 4 2 2 : P4₃ 2₁ 2
2.BA.50	Eucairite	AgCuSe	Orth.
2.BA.52	Argentite	Ag₂S	Iso.
2.BA.55	Naumannite	Ag₂Se	Orth. 2 2 2 : P2₁ 2₁ 2₁
2.BA.55	Aguilarite	Ag₄SeS	Mon. 2/m
2.BA.60	Chenguodaite	Ag₉Fe³⁺Te₂S₄	Orth.
2.BA.60	Hessite	Ag₂Te	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
2.BA.60	Cervelleite	Ag₄TeS	Mon. 2/m
2.BA.65	Henryite	(Cu,Ag)_3+xTe₂ , with x ~ 0.40	Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fd3c
2.BA.65	Stützite	Ag_5-xTe₃, x = 0.24-0.36	Hex. 6 : P6
2.BA.70	Argyrodite	Ag₈GeS₆	Orth. mm2 : Pna2₁
2.BA.70	Putzite	(Cu_4.7Ag_3.3)GeS₆	Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.BA.70	Canfieldite	Ag₈SnS₆	Orth. mm2 : Pna2₁
2.BA.75	Fischesserite	Ag₃AuSe₂	Iso. 4 3 2 : I4₁ 3 2
2.BA.75	Uytenbogaardtite	Ag₃AuS₂	Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
2.BA.75	Penzhinite	(Ag,Cu)₄Au(S,Se)₄	Hex. 6 2 2 : P6₃ 2 2
2.BA.75	Petrovskaite	AuAgS	Mon.
2.BA.75	Petzite	Ag₃AuTe₂	Iso. 4 3 2 : I4₁ 3 2
2.BA.80	Bilibinskite	PbCu₂Au₃Te₂	Iso.
2.BA.80	Bogdanovite	(Au,Te,Pb)₃(Cu,Fe)	Iso.

Other InformationHide

Health Risks:

No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Internet Links for BezsmertnoviteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-656.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

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References for BezsmertnoviteHide

Reference List:

Doklady Akademii Nauk SSSR, Earth Science Sections: 249: 131-134.

Doklady Akademii Nauk SSSR, Earth Science Sections: 266: 145-148.

Fleischer, Michael, Chao, George Y., Francis, Carl A. (1981) New Mineral Names. American Mineralogist, 66 (7-8) 878-879

Bochek, L.I., Malinovskiy, Y.A., Sandomirskaya, S.M., Chuvikina, N.G. (1982) Bilibinskite and bezsmertnovite, new hybrid minerals of the intermetallic compound-oxide type rather than intermetallic compounds of gold. Doklady Akademii Nauk SSSR: 266(5): 1255-1259 (in Russian).

(2005) Bezsmertnovite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Localities for BezsmertnoviteHide

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the

symbol to view information about a locality. The

symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Locality ListHide

- This locality has map coordinates listed.

- This locality has estimated coordinates. ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence. ? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.

- Good crystals or important locality for species.

- World class for species or very significant. (TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species. (FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.


China
Shandong Linyi Pingyi County Tongshi complex ⓘ Guilaizhuang Au Mine	Jiansheng Qiu et al. (1994) +2 other references
ⓘ Zhuojiazhuang Mine	Deping Zhu et al. (2001)

Kazakhstan
East Kazakhstan Region Kurshim District ⓘ Manka Au deposit	Глоба В.А. Месторождение Манка - новый геолого-промышленный тип месторождений золота. // Изв. НАН РК et al. (403)

North Macedonia
Probistip Municipality Kratovo-Zletovo ore district ⓘ Plavica deposit (Plavica-Zlatica deposit; Plavitsa deposit)	Serafimovski et al. (2015) +1 other reference

Russia (TL)
Kamchatka Krai Bystrinsky District Central Kamchatka mining district ⓘ Aginskoe Au deposit (Aginskoye deposit) (TL)	Extra Lapis English No. 5 Gold +3 other references

USA
Utah Utah County East Tintic Mining District ⓘ Trixie Mine (Trixie shaft; Old Trump prospect)	SEM EDS confirmed by Rob Bowell.

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Bezsmertnovite

About BezsmertnoviteHide