Melonite

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Melonite
Melonite-Calaverite-219105.jpg
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
IMA symbol Mlt [1]
Strunz classification 2.EA.20
Dana classification02.12.14.01
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
ColorWhite, reddish white
Crystal habit Crystalline, foliated, granular
Cleavage {0001} Perfect
Fracture Brittle
Mohs scale hardness1–1.5
Luster Metallic
Streak Dark gray
Diaphaneity Opaque
Specific gravity 7.72
Density 7.3
Ultraviolet fluorescence None
References [2] [3] [4] [5]

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.

Contents

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

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petzite</span> Telluride mineral

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calaverite</span> Telluride of gold

Calaverite, or gold telluride, is an uncommon telluride of gold, a metallic mineral with the chemical formula AuTe2, with approximately 3% of the gold replaced by silver. It was first discovered in Calaveras County, California in 1861, and was named for the county in 1868.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvanite</span> Silver gold telluride

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altaite</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krennerite</span> Gold telluride mineral

Krennerite is an orthorhombic gold telluride mineral which can contain variable amounts of silver in the structure. The formula is AuTe2, but specimen with gold substituted by up to 24% with silver have been found ([Au0.77Ag0.24]Te2). Both of the chemically similar gold-silver tellurides, calaverite and sylvanite, are in the monoclinic crystal system, whereas krennerite is orthorhombic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rickardite</span>

Rickardite is a telluride mineral, a copper telluride (Cu7Te5) or Cu3-x (x = 0 to 0.36)Te2. It was first described for an occurrence in the Good Hope Mine, Vulcan district, Gunnison County, Colorado, US, and named for mining engineer Thomas Arthur Rickard (1864–1953). It is a low temperature hydrothermal mineral that occurs associated with vulcanite, native tellurium, cameronite, petzite, sylvanite, berthierite, pyrite, arsenopyrite and bornite.

Weissite is a telluride mineral, a copper telluride. Its chemical formula is Cu
2−x
Te
. Weissite has hexagonal crystal structure. Its specific gravity is 6 and its Mohs hardness is 3. Occurrence is in Gunnison County, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States. It is also reported from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and Dalarna and Värmland, Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telluride mineral</span>

A telluride mineral is a mineral that has the telluride anion as a main component.

Saliotite is a rare colorless to pearl white phyllosilicate mineral in the smectite group with formula (Li,Na)Al3(AlSi3O10)(OH)5. It is an ordered 1:1 interstratification of cookeite and paragonite. It has perfect cleavage, a pearly luster and leaves a white streak. Its crystal structure is monoclinic, and it is a soft mineral with a hardness rated 2-3 on the Mohs scale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tellurobismuthite</span>

Tellurobismuthite, or tellurbismuth, is a telluride mineral: bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3). It crystallizes in the trigonal system. There are natural cleavage planes in the (0001) direction as the crystal is effectively lamellar (layered) in that plane. The Mohs hardness is 1.5 - 2 and the specific gravity is 7.815. It is a dull grey color, which exhibits a splendent luster on fresh cleavage planes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hessite</span>

Hessite is a mineral form of disilver telluride (Ag2Te). It is a soft, dark grey telluride mineral which forms monoclinic crystals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empressite</span>

Empressite is a mineral form of silver telluride, AgTe. It is a rare, grey, orthorhombic mineral with which can form compact masses, rarely as bipyramidal crystals.

Temagamite is a bright white palladium mercury telluride mineral with a hardness of 2+12 on the Mohs scale. Its chemical formula is Pd3HgTe3. It was discovered at the Temagami Mine on Temagami Island, Lake Temagami in 1973, and it represents a rare mineral in the Temagami Greenstone Belt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vulcanite</span>

Vulcanite is a rare copper telluride mineral. The mineral has a metallic luster, and has a green or bronze-yellow tint. It has a hardness between 1 and 2 on the Mohs scale. Its crystal structure is orthorhombic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coloradoite</span>

Coloradoite, also known as mercury telluride (HgTe), is a rare telluride ore associated with metallic deposit. Gold usually occurs within tellurides, such as coloradoite, as a high-finess native metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stützite</span> Telluride mineral

Stützite or stuetzite is a silver telluride mineral with formula: Ag5−xTe3 (with x = 0.24 to 0.36) or Ag7Te4.

Merenskyite is a rare telluride / bismuthinide mineral with the chemical formula (Pd,Pt)(Te,Bi)2. It is an opaque white to light gray metallic mineral that occurs as inclusions within other minerals such as chalcopyrite. It crystallizes in the trigonal crystal system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kostovite</span>

Kostovite is a rare orthorhombic-pyramidal gray white telluride mineral containing copper and gold with chemical formula AuCuTe4.

Honeaite is a rare gold thallium telluride mineral with the formula Au3TlTe2. It was discovered in the Karonie mine, Cowarna Downs Station, Western Australia, although this is not the only locality for the mineral.

References

  1. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi: 10.1180/mgm.2021.43 . S2CID   235729616.
  2. Mineralienatlas
  3. "Melonite Mineral Data". Webmineral.com. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
  4. "Melonite mineral information and data". Mindat.org. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
  5. "Mieralienatlas Lexikon - Melonit". Mieralienatlas. Retrieved 2011-10-28.


Melonite and Calaverite, Kambalda, Coolgardie Shire, Western Australia. Melonite is a rare nickel telluride. This is a showy, solid foliated mass of lustrous, slightly iridescent melonite with a bit of brassy, golden pyrite on one side from this major nickel producing area. Melonite-587385.png
Melonite and Calaverite, Kambalda, Coolgardie Shire, Western Australia. Melonite is a rare nickel telluride. This is a showy, solid foliated mass of lustrous, slightly iridescent melonite with a bit of brassy, golden pyrite on one side from this major nickel producing area.
Melonite crystal structure (Wyckoff 1963), crystallographic standard alignment Melonite crystal structure (Wyckoff 1963) crystallographic standard alignment bigger section.png
Melonite crystal structure (Wyckoff 1963), crystallographic standard alignment