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Cobaltite

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Hakansboda, Lindesberg, Västmanland, Sweden
© 2001 John H. Betts

Show Cobaltite Photos (58)
Formula:
CoAsS
System:OrthorhombicColour:Reddish silver white, ...
Lustre:MetallicHardness:5½
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.

Classification of Cobaltite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/D.18-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID: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.
Dana 8th edition ID:2.12.3.1

2 : SULFIDES
12 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:2
Hey's CIM Ref.: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
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Physical Properties of Cobaltite

Lustre: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}
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven
Density (measured):6.33 g/cm3
Density (calculated):6.335 g/cm3

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}
Crystal Atlas:
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Cobaltite - {111}, {210}
Cobaltite - {100}, {210}

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Chemical Properties of Cobaltite

Formula:
CoAsS
Essential elements:As, Co, S
All elements listed in formula:As, Co, S
Common Impurities:Cu,Pb,Sb,Fe,Ni

Relationship of Cobaltite to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
2.EB.05aAurostibite
AuSb
 
2
2.EB.05bBambollaite
Cu(Se,Te)
 
2
2.EB.05aCattierite
CoS
 
2
2.EB.05aErlichmanite
OsS
 
2
2.EB.05aFukuchilite
Cu
 
3
FeS
 
8
2.EB.05aGeversite
PtSb
 
2
2.EB.05aHauerite
MnS
 
2
2.EB.05aInsizwaite
Pt(Bi,Sb)
 
2
2.EB.05aKrut'aite
CuSe
 
2
2.EB.05aLaurite
RuS
 
2
2.EB.05aPenroseite
(Ni,Co,Cu)Se
 
2
2.EB.05aPyrite
FeS
 
2
2.EB.05aSperrylite
PtAs
 
2
2.EB.05aTrogtalite
CoSe
 
2
2.EB.05aVaesite
NiS
 
2
2.EB.05aVillamanínite
(Cu,Ni,Co,Fe)S
 
2
2.EB.05aDzharkenite
FeSe
 
2
2.EB.05aGaotaiite
Ir
 
3
Te
 
8
2.EB.10bAlloclasite
(Co
 
0.65
Fe
 
0.35
)AsS - CoAsS
2.EB.10dCostibite
CoSbS
2.EB.10aFerroselite
FeSe
 
2
2.EB.10aFrohbergite
FeTe
 
2
2.EB.10cGlaucodot
(Co
 
0.50
Fe
 
0.50
)AsS
2.EB.10aHastite
CoSe
 
2
2.EB.10aKullerudite
NiSe
 
2
2.EB.10aMarcasite
FeS
 
2
2.EB.10aMattagamite
CoTe
 
2
2.EB.10eParacostibite
CoSbS
2.EB.10ePararammelsbergite
NiAs
 
2
2.EB.10fOenite
CoSbAs
2.EB.15aAnduoite
(Ru,Os)As
 
2
2.EB.15aClinosafflorite
(Co,Fe,Ni)As
 
2
2.EB.15aLöllingite
FeAs
 
2
2.EB.15aNisbite
NiSb
 
2
2.EB.15aOmeiite
(Os,Ru)As
 
2
2.EB.15cPaxite
CuAs
 
2
2.EB.15aRammelsbergite
NiAs
 
2
2.EB.15aSafflorite
(Co,Fe)As
 
2
2.EB.15bSeinäjokite
(Fe,Ni)(Sb,As)
 
2
2.EB.20Arsenopyrite
FeAsS - (Fe
 
0.90
Co
 
0.10
)AsS
2.EB.20Gudmundite
FeSbS
2.EB.20Osarsite
(Os,Ru)AsS
2.EB.20Ruarsite
(Ru,Os)AsS
2.EB.25Gersdorffite
NiAsS
2.EB.25Hollingworthite
(Rh,Pt,Pd)AsS
2.EB.25Irarsite
(Ir,Ru,Rh,Pt)AsS
2.EB.25Jolliffeite
NiAsSe
2.EB.25Krutovite
NiAs
 
2
2.EB.25Maslovite
PtBiTe
2.EB.25Michenerite
PdBiTe
2.EB.25Padmaite
PdBiSe
2.EB.25Platarsite
(Pt,Rh,Ru)AsS
2.EB.25Testibiopalladite
PdTe(Sb,Te)
2.EB.25Tolovkite
IrSbS
2.EB.25Ullmannite
NiSbS
2.EB.25Willyamite
(Co,Ni)SbS
2.EB.25Changchengite
IrBiS
2.EB.25Mayingite
IrBiTe
2.EB.25Hollingsworthite
2.EB.25Kalungaite
PdAsSe
2.EB.25Milotaite
PdSbSe
2.EB.30Urvantsevite
Pd(Bi,Pb)
 
2
2.EB.35Rheniite
ReS
 
2
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
3.10.1Cobaltpentlandite
(Co,Ni,Fe)
 
9
S
 
8
3.10.2Linnaeite
Co
2+
 
Co
3+
2
S
 
4
3.10.3Cattierite
CoS
 
2
3.10.4Freboldite
CoSe
3.10.5Bornhardtite
Co
2+
 
Co
3+
2
Se
 
4
3.10.6Trogtalite
CoSe
 
2
3.10.7Hastite
CoSe
 
2
3.10.8Mattagamite
CoTe
 
2
3.10.9Modderite
(Co,Fe)As
3.10.10Safflorite
(Co,Fe)As
 
2
3.10.11Clinosafflorite
(Co,Fe,Ni)As
 
2
3.10.12Skutterudite
(Co,Fe,Ni)As
 
2-3
3.10.14Paracostibite
CoSbS
3.10.15Costibite
CoSbS
3.10.16Alloclasite
(Co
 
0.65
Fe
 
0.35
)AsS - CoAsS
3.10.17Glaucodot
(Co
 
0.50
Fe
 
0.50
)AsS
3.10.18Carrollite
Cu(Co,Ni)
 
2
S
 
4

Other Names for Cobaltite

Synonyms:
Bright white cobaltCobalt glanceCobaltineGlanzkobaltkiesGlanzkobold
Other Languages:
Basque:Kobaltita
Czech:Kobaltin
Finnish:Kobolttihohde
German:Cobaltit
Kobaltglanz
Kobaltit
Italian:Cobaltite
Lithuanian:Kobaltitas
Polish:Kobaltyn
Russian:Кобальтин
Spanish:Cobaltita
Swedish:Koboltglans
Ukrainian:Кобальтит
Varieties:
Ferroan Cobaltite

Other Information

Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Cobaltite

Reference List: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.

Fleet, M.E. and Burns, P.C. (1990) Structure and twinning of cobaltite. Canadian Mineralogist: 28: 719-723.

Articles/Blogs about Cobaltite

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    Localities for Cobaltite

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