Definition

Noun: A silver-white to steel-gray mineral consisting of a telluride of gold and silver, with the chemical formula (Au,Ag)Te₂. It is an ore mineral and a significant source of gold.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • Sylvanite is often found in quartz veins associated with other telluride minerals.
  • The discovery of sylvanite deposits contributed to several gold rushes.
  • Under a microscope, the crystalline structure of sylvanite can be clearly observed.

Advanced Usage

• In Economic Geology: The term is used to specify a specific type of gold-bearing ore.
  • The economic viability of the mine depends on the concentration of sylvanite in the vein.
• In Mineralogy: Used to describe specimens based on their composition and crystal habit.
  • The museum's collection includes a fine specimen of sylvanite from Colorado.

Variants and Related Words

• Sylvanite is the standard term; there are no common variant spellings.
• Related Mineral: Calaverite (AuTe₂), another gold telluride mineral often associated with sylvanite.

Synonyms

• Gold-silver telluride (descriptive chemical synonym)
• Graphic tellurium (an obsolete name, referring to its common graphic intergrowth texture with other minerals)

Notes on Meaning

This word has a single, specific meaning within the fields of mineralogy and economic geology. It does not have idiomatic or phrasal verb uses.

Noun

1. a silver-white mineral consisting of silver gold telluride; a source of gold in Australia and America