:The rare intermetallide Zhanghengite, CuZn, discovered in meteorites, become available now from an old Vietnamese collection. The mineral has nice light-yellow gold-like color and is well visible by unequipped eye. Zhanghengite is accompanied by mixture (alteration rim) of pink zincian (4.3-7.8 mas.% of Zn) native Copper, Cuprite, Hydrozincite, Smithsonite, Malachite and Cerussite. All this located mainly at the back side of the specimen. The specimen size is 1.25x0.62x0.50 mm. Chemical formula of Zhanghengite from exactly this specimen is Cu1.00(Zn0.97Fe0.03)1.00. A geological probe from unspecified "gold" deposit from Northern Vietnam was collected in the late 70th. But all gold-like metal turned out copper-zink alloy and no real gold was detected in the probe. The mineral indeed has very nice gold-like color and is very similar to native gold of AV700 fineness. Completely analyzed specimen. — Photo: David Hospital · CC BY-SA 4.0
Zhanghengite
A golden-yellow copper-zinc intermetallic found in the Bo Xian meteorite, named for astronomer Zhang Heng.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Zhanghengite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the native element class, with the chemical formula CuZn.
It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system (space group Im3m). It is a member of the Iron structural group.
Key properties: specific gravity 8.32; Bronze streak; Metallic (tarnishes readily in air) luster.
IMA symbol Zhg, IMA status: approved, named in 1985.
Found in the matrix of a chondrite meteorite.
It is found associated with Olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, orthoclase, whitlockite, quartz, biotite, dolomite, calcite, corundum, troilite, kamacite, taenite.
The mineral was named to honor Zhang Heng (79-139), a famous Chinese astronomer.