Wilhelmkleinite (w. parasymplesite)

germanite (?); parasymplesite; quartz; tennantite subgroup (?)

A massive sulphide matrix, with minor quartz, hosts a circa 20 mm vug, lined with sub-botryoidal radial aggregates of iron-stained, acicular parasymplesite crystals and bridged with an elongated composite crystal (11 mm) of striated, greenish-black wilhelmkleinite. A few inconspicuous sprays of greenish-blue parasymplesite are present at the margins of the vug (Exhibit 2). Wilhelmkleinite has been verified by SCXRD and EPMA (RRUFF Project); parasymplesite has been verified by XRD (Royal Ontario Museum). An accompanying (Pinch Collection) label describes the matrix as tennantite with germanite, but there is no record that the sulphide minerals have been analysed.

The specimen is from the collection of the late Bill Pinch but was originally in the collection of TCL mineralogist John Innes, who had labelled it as an unknown mineral. The location in the mine is not recorded; the type specimen of wilhelmkleinite, however, is from 44 Level in the third oxidation zone (Schlüter et al. 1998), although former owner Bill Pinch questioned whether this specimen might be from the second oxidation zone (Bill Pinch, pers. comm. to M. Southwood, 2015). 

Analytical data for this specimen is available from the RRUFF database (RRUFF ID R070060) at: https://www.rruff.net/odr/rruff_sample#/odr/search/display/2010/eyI3MDUyIjoid2lsaGVsbWtsZWluaXRlIiwiZHRfaWQiOiI3MzgiLCJzb3J0X2J5IjpbeyJzb3J0X2RmX2lkIjoiNzA1MiIsInNvcnRfZGlyIjoiYXNjIn1dfQ (accessed April 2026).