Tetrahedrite

It's advisable to handle tetrahedrite carefully to avoid generating dust and wash hands thoroughly afterward. When cutting or polishing tetrahedrite, wear a dust mask to prevent inhaling heavy metal particles. Store tetrahedrite in a sealed container in a well-ventilated area, away from children and pets. For those involved in crystal healing, never put it in your mouth.

Tetrahedrite has some electronic properties akin to a semiconductor, and is therefore sometimes of interest in a commercial capacity. This mineral is used in wiring, photoconductors, and conductive inks. It is also mined to sell as a collector’s item for home décor, because of its attractive crystalline texture and monochromatic color.

Tetrahedrite gets its name from the distinctive tetrahedron shaped cubic crystals. The mineral usually occurs in massive form, it is a steel gray to black metallic mineral with Mohs hardness of 3.5 to 4 and specific gravity of 4.6 to 5.2. Tetrahedrite occurs in low to moderate temperature hydrothermal veins and in some contact metamorphic deposits. It is a minor ore of copper and associated metals. It was first described in 1845 for occurrences in Freiberg, Saxony, Germany. Historically, it was an important ore of copper, the formula Cu3SbS3 corresponding with 57.5% of the metal; it was also worked as an ore of silver, of which element it sometimes contains as much as 30%.