Melonite
Appearance
Melonite | |
---|---|
![]() Melonite after calaverite, on quartz. Cresson mine, Cripple Creek, Colorado. Size: 1.3 × 0.9 × 0.4 cm. | |
General | |
Category | Sulfide minerals |
Formula (repeating unit) | NiTe2 |
Strunz classification | 2.EA.20 |
Dana classification | 02.12.14.01 |
Crystal system | Trigonal |
Crystal class | Hexagonal scalenohedral (3m) H-M symbol: (3 2/m) |
Space group | P3m1 |
Unit cell | a = 3.84 Å, c = 5.26 Å; Z = 1 |
Identification | |
Formula mass | 313.89 g/mol |
Color | White, reddish white |
Crystal habit | Crystalline, foliated, granular |
Cleavage | {0001} Perfect |
Fracture | Brittle |
Mohs scale hardness | 1–1.5 |
Luster | Metallic |
Streak | Dark gray |
Diaphaneity | Opaque |
Specific gravity | 7.72 |
Density | 7.3 |
Ultraviolet fluorescence | None |
References | [1][2][3][4] |
Melonite is a telluride of nickel; it is a metallic mineral. Its chemical formula is NiTe2. It is opaque and white to reddish-white in color, oxidizing in air to a brown tarnish.
It was first described from the Melones and Stanislaus mine in Calaveras County, California in 1866, by Frederick Augustus Genth.
Melonite occurs as trigonal crystals, which cleave in a (0001) direction. It has a specific gravity of 7.72 and a hardness of 1–1.5 (very soft).
See also
References
- ^ Mineralienatlas
- ^ "Melonite Mineral Data". Webmineral.com. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
- ^ "Melonite mineral information and data". Mindat.org. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
- ^ "Mieralienatlas Lexikon - Melonit". Mieralienatlas. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
External links
Media related to Melonite at Wikimedia Commons