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Sakuraiite mineral

Indium-dominant copper-zinc-iron-indium-tin sulfide mineral with current September 2026 IMA-CNMNC approved formula (Cu,Zn,Fe)3(In,Sn)S4 and approval number IMA 1965-017. Originally described by Kato (1965) from the Kanagase vein group of the Ikuno mine, Asago-cho, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, with a tetragonal or pseudotetragonal subcell (a = 5.455, c = 10.91 A, Z = 2) and an Ag-rich formula (Cu,Zn,Fe,Ag)3(In,Sn)S4, type material from the Ikuno mine (including Kato's 1965 holotype and specimen NSM M-15843 from the Senju-hon vein) was chemically re-examined by Shimizu, Kato, and Shiozawa (1986). Electron-microprobe analyses (Table 1: 5 sakuraiite analyses SK 1-5, 3 coexisting indium-bearing stannite/petrukite analyses ST 1-3, and 2 indium- bearing kësterite analyses KS 1-2, plus step-scan traverses across zoned grains in Figure 3) showed that Kato's 1965 elevated Ag values (3.5-4 wt%) were erroneous (actual Ag 0.10-0.15 wt% in sakuraiite) and established the revised formula (Cu,Zn,Fe)3(In,Sn)S4 with In:Sn atomic ratios reaching 89:11 (analysis SK 2: Cu 1.221, Ag 0.004, Fe 0.436, Zn 1.302, Mn 0.001, Cd 0.032, Sn 0.189, In 0.817, S 3.987 on an 8-atom basis) via coupled (Zn,Fe)In-for-CuSn substitution toward a hypothetical (Zn,Fe)2CuInS4 end-member. Shimizu et al. (1986) did not report new X-ray diffraction measurements, and Kissin and Owens (1989, pp. 684-686) subsequently examined Ikuno mine specimens, identified orthorhombic Pmn21 petrukite and an unindexed Zn > Fe phase, and noted that holotype sakuraiite still required definitive X-ray diffraction characterization to resolve its crystal symmetry and structural relationship to petrukite. Distinct from petrukite, roquesite, stannite, kësterite, and elemental indium or tin; no criticality designation, microbial mechanism, or extraction yield is asserted.

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Identifiers & Classification

System Identifier Label
IMA IMA:1965-017 Sakuraiite

Sources & References

  1. ima_2026_09: IMA-CNMNC, The New IMA List of Minerals, September 2026, PDF page 190, Sakuraiite row: formula (Cu,Zn,Fe)3(In,Sn)S4, status A, IMA No. 1965-017, country Japan, first reference Chigaku Kenkyu, Sakurai volume (1965), 1, second reference Canadian Mineralogist 24 (1986), 405; column definitions on PDF page 1.
    https://cnmnc.units.it/files/editor/IMA_Master_List_(2026-09).pdf (accessed 2026-10-18)
  2. shimizu_1986_sakuraiite: Shimizu M, Kato A, Shiozawa T (1986), Sakuraiite: chemical composition and extent of (Zn,Fe)In-for-CuSn substitution, Canadian Mineralogist 24:405-409. Complete 6-page primary PDF visually inspected: Ikuno mine Senju-hon vein occurrence, holotype re-examination, and paragenesis pp. 405-406; electron-microprobe analyses of sakuraiite (SK 1-5), coexisting In-bearing stannite (ST 1-3), and In-bearing kesterite (KS 1-2) in Table 1 p. 407; compositional zoning and coupled (Zn,Fe)In-for-CuSn substitution in Figures 2-5 pp. 406-408.
    https://www.rruff.net/doclib/cm/vol24/CM24_405.pdf (accessed 2026-10-18)
  3. kissin_owens_1989: Kissin SA, Owens DR (1989), The relatives of stannite in the light of new data, Canadian Mineralogist 27:673-688. Complete 16-page primary PDF visually inspected: discussion of Ikuno mine petrukite and sakuraiite, comparison of compositional fields in Figures 5-7, and note on the need for definitive X-ray diffraction characterization of holotype sakuraiite pp. 679-686.
    https://www.rruff.net/doclib/cm/vol27/CM27_673.pdf (accessed 2026-10-18)

Curation History

Timestamp Curator Action Summary
2026-10-19T05:22:00Z antigravity CREATE Created sakuraiite mineral record from the September 2026 IMA master list, the 1986 Ikuno mine electron-microprobe re-examination, and the 1989 petrukite comparison paper, preserving the compositional zoning and open X-ray crystallography notes.

Record source: data/records/sakuraiite.yaml