Cobaltite
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Formula:
CoAsS
System:
Orthorhombic
Colour:
Reddish silver white, ...
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
5½
Member of:
Name:
From the German, Kobold, "underground spirit" or "goblin," in allusion to the refusal of cobaltiferous ores to smelt properly, hence "bewitched."
See also the chemically very similar Glaucodot and Alloclasite.
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Cobaltite.
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Cobaltite.
Classification of Cobaltite
Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
2/D.18-10
2.EB.25
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
E : Metal Sulfides, M: S <= 1:2
B : M:S = 1:2, with Fe, Co, Ni, PGE, etc.
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
E : Metal Sulfides, M: S <= 1:2
B : M:S = 1:2, with Fe, Co, Ni, PGE, etc.
2.12.3.1
2 : SULFIDES
12 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:2
2 : SULFIDES
12 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:2
3.10.13
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
10 : Sulphides etc. of Co
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
10 : Sulphides etc. of Co
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Occurrences of Cobaltite
Geological Setting:
High temperature hydrothermal deposits, veins in contact metamorphic rocks.
Physical Properties of Cobaltite
Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):
Opaque
Colour:
Reddish silver white, violet steel gray, or black.
Streak:
Grayish black
Hardness (Mohs):
5½
Hardness (Vickers):
VHN100=1095 - 1346
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Perfect
Perfect on {001}
Perfect on {001}
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven
Density:
6.33 g/cm3 (Measured) 6.335 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Crystallography of Cobaltite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mm2 - Pyramidal
Space Group:
Pca21
Cell Parameters:
a = 5.582Å, b = 5.582Å, c = 5.582Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 1 : 1 : 1
Unit Cell Volume:
V 173.93 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Pseudocubic, pseudopyritohedral crystals
Twinning:
{111}, {011}
Crystallographic forms of Cobaltite
Crystal Atlas:
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Cobaltite - {111}, {210}
Cobaltite - {100}, {210}
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by
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Edge Lines | Miller Indicies | Axes
Transparency
Opaque | Translucent | Transparent
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Along a-axis | Along b-axis | Along c-axis | Start rotation | Stop rotation
Chemical Properties of Cobaltite
Formula:
CoAsS
All elements listed in formula:
Common Impurities:
Cu,Pb,Sb,Fe,Ni
Relationship of Cobaltite to other Species
Series:
Forms a series with Gersdorffite (see here)
Member of:
Other Members of Group:
| Changchengite | IrBiS |
| Gersdorffite | NiAsS |
| Hollingworthite | (Rh,Pt,Pd)AsS |
| Irarsite | (Ir,Ru,Rh,Pt)AsS |
| Jolliffeite | NiAsSe |
| Kalungaite | PdAsSe |
| Maslovite | PtBiTe |
| Mayingite | IrBiTe |
| Michenerite | PdBiTe |
| Milotaite | PdSbSe |
| Padmaite | PdBiSe |
| Platarsite | PtAsS |
| Testibiopalladite | PdTe(Sb,Te) |
| Tolovkite | IrSbS |
| Ullmannite | NiSbS |
| Willyamite | (Co,Ni)SbS |
Common Associates:
| 2.EB.05a | Aurostibite | AuSb2 |
| 2.EB.05b | Bambollaite | Cu(Se,Te)2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Cattierite | CoS2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Erlichmanite | OsS2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Fukuchilite | Cu3FeS8 |
| 2.EB.05a | Geversite | PtSb2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Hauerite | MnS2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Insizwaite | Pt(Bi,Sb)2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Krut'aite | CuSe2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Laurite | RuS2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Penroseite | (Ni,Co,Cu)Se2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Pyrite | FeS2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Sperrylite | PtAs2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Trogtalite | CoSe2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Vaesite | NiS2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Villamaninite | (Cu,Ni,Co,Fe)S2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Dzharkenite | FeSe2 |
| 2.EB.05a | Gaotaiite | Ir3Te8 |
| 2.EB.10b | Alloclasite | Co1-xFexAsS |
| 2.EB.10d | Costibite | CoSbS |
| 2.EB.10a | Ferroselite | FeSe2 |
| 2.EB.10a | Frohbergite | FeTe2 |
| 2.EB.10c | Glaucodot | (Co0.50Fe0.50)AsS |
| 2.EB.10a | Kullerudite | NiSe2 |
| 2.EB.10a | Marcasite | FeS2 |
| 2.EB.10a | Mattagamite | CoTe2 |
| 2.EB.10e | Paracostibite | CoSbS |
| 2.EB.10e | Pararammelsbergite | NiAs2 |
| 2.EB.10f | Oenite | CoSbAs |
| 2.EB.15a | Anduoite | (Ru,Os)As2 |
| 2.EB.15a | Clinosafflorite | CoAs2 |
| 2.EB.15a | Löllingite | FeAs2 |
| 2.EB.15a | Nisbite | NiSb2 |
| 2.EB.15a | Omeiite | (Os,Ru)As2 |
| 2.EB.15c | Paxite | CuAs2 |
| 2.EB.15a | Rammelsbergite | NiAs2 |
| 2.EB.15a | Safflorite | (Co,Ni,Fe)As2 |
| 2.EB.15b | Seinäjokite | (Fe,Ni)(Sb,As)2 |
| 2.EB.20 | Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
| 2.EB.20 | Gudmundite | FeSbS |
| 2.EB.20 | Osarsite | (Os,Ru)AsS |
| 2.EB.20 | Ruarsite | (Ru,Os)AsS |
| 2.EB.25 | Gersdorffite | NiAsS |
| 2.EB.25 | Hollingworthite | (Rh,Pt,Pd)AsS |
| 2.EB.25 | Irarsite | (Ir,Ru,Rh,Pt)AsS |
| 2.EB.25 | Jolliffeite | NiAsSe |
| 2.EB.25 | Krutovite | NiAs2 |
| 2.EB.25 | Maslovite | PtBiTe |
| 2.EB.25 | Michenerite | PdBiTe |
| 2.EB.25 | Padmaite | PdBiSe |
| 2.EB.25 | Platarsite | PtAsS |
| 2.EB.25 | Testibiopalladite | PdTe(Sb,Te) |
| 2.EB.25 | Tolovkite | IrSbS |
| 2.EB.25 | Ullmannite | NiSbS |
| 2.EB.25 | Willyamite | (Co,Ni)SbS |
| 2.EB.25 | Changchengite | IrBiS |
| 2.EB.25 | Mayingite | IrBiTe |
| 2.EB.25 | Hollingsworthite | |
| 2.EB.25 | Kalungaite | PdAsSe |
| 2.EB.25 | Milotaite | PdSbSe |
| 2.EB.30 | Urvantsevite | Pd(Bi,Pb)2 |
| 2.EB.35 | Rheniite | ReS2 |
| 3.10.1 | Cobaltpentlandite | (Co,Ni,Fe)9S8 |
| 3.10.2 | Linnaeite | Co2+Co23+S4 |
| 3.10.3 | Cattierite | CoS2 |
| 3.10.4 | Freboldite | CoSe |
| 3.10.5 | Bornhardtite | Co2+Co23+Se4 |
| 3.10.6 | Trogtalite | CoSe2 |
| 3.10.7 | Hastite | |
| 3.10.8 | Mattagamite | CoTe2 |
| 3.10.9 | Modderite | (Co,Fe)As |
| 3.10.10 | Safflorite | (Co,Ni,Fe)As2 |
| 3.10.11 | Clinosafflorite | CoAs2 |
| 3.10.12 | Skutterudite | CoAs3-x |
| 3.10.14 | Paracostibite | CoSbS |
| 3.10.15 | Costibite | CoSbS |
| 3.10.16 | Alloclasite | Co1-xFexAsS |
| 3.10.17 | Glaucodot | (Co0.50Fe0.50)AsS |
| 3.10.18 | Carrollite | Cu(Co,Ni)2S4 |
Other Names for Cobaltite
Name in Other Languages:
Basque:Kobaltita
Czech:Kobaltin
Finnish:Kobolttihohde
Italian:Cobaltite
Lithuanian:Kobaltitas
Polish:Kobaltyn
Russian:Кобальтин
Spanish:Cobaltita
Swedish:Koboltglans
Ukrainian:Кобальтит
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses:
Cobalt ore.
References for Cobaltite
Reference List:
Klaproth, M.H. (1797): Untersuchung des Glanzkobalts von Tunaberg , Beiträge zur chemischen Kenntniss der Mineralkörper, Zweiter Band, Rottmann Berlin, 302-307
Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944): The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 296-298.
American Mineralogist (1965): 50: 1002-1014.
Maurel, C. & Picot, P. (1973): Mechanism of transformation of alloclasite into cobaltite. Lautaret deposit. Bulletin de la Societe Francaise de Mineralogie et de Cristallographie 96, 292-297.
Croxford, N. J. W. (1974): Cobalt mineralization at Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia, with references to Mount Cobalt. Mineralium Deposita 9, 105-115.
Fleet, M.E. and Burns, P.C. (1990) Structure and twinning of cobaltite. Canadian Mineralogist: 28: 719-723.
Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944): The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 296-298.
American Mineralogist (1965): 50: 1002-1014.
Maurel, C. & Picot, P. (1973): Mechanism of transformation of alloclasite into cobaltite. Lautaret deposit. Bulletin de la Societe Francaise de Mineralogie et de Cristallographie 96, 292-297.
Croxford, N. J. W. (1974): Cobalt mineralization at Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia, with references to Mount Cobalt. Mineralium Deposita 9, 105-115.
Fleet, M.E. and Burns, P.C. (1990) Structure and twinning of cobaltite. Canadian Mineralogist: 28: 719-723.
Internet Links for Cobaltite
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Håkansboda, Lindesberg, Västmanland, Sweden