Electrum
Variety (Au,Ag)
About it
Natural gold alloyed with a fifth or more of silver, paler and lighter than pure gold. Used for the first coins in ancient Lydia; found in many epithermal gold-silver veins.
- Type
- Variety
- Group
- Gold variety
- Formula
- (Au,Ag)
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 2.5–3
- Specific gravity
- 11.5–17
- Streak
- yellowish white
- Lustre
- metallic
- Crystal system
- Isometric (cubic)
- Colours
- pale yellow, silvery yellow, greenish yellow
- Transparency
- opaque
- Cleavage and fracture
- none; hackly fracture, malleable
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.