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Gersdorffite

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Aït Ahmane, Bou Azer District (Bou Azzer District), Tazenakht, Ouarzazate Province, Souss-Massa-Draâ Region, Morocco
© fabreminerals.com

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Formula:
NiAsS
System:IsometricColour:Gray, grayish black, ...
Lustre:MetallicHardness:5½
Member of:Cobaltite Group
Name:
Named after Johann Rudolf Ritter von Gersdorff (1781–1849), owner of the nickel mine at Schladming (ca. 1842) and mining expert.


Cobaltite Group.

See also Unnamed (Ni,Fe,Co)AsS.

Classification of Gersdorffite

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/D.18-20
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:2.12.3.2

2 : SULFIDES
12 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:2
Hey's CIM Ref.:3.11.34

3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
11 : Sulphides etc. of Ni
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Type Occurrence of Gersdorffite

Type Locality:Zinkwand, Obertalbach valley, Schladminger Tauern, Schladming, Styria, Austria
Year of Discovery:1845

Occurrences of Gersdorffite

Geological Setting:Moderate temperature hydrothermal veins.

Physical Properties of Gersdorffite

Lustre:Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:Gray, grayish black, silver white, or tin white
Streak:Grayish black
Hardness (Mohs):5½
Hardness (Vickers):VHN100=657 - 767 kg/mm2
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Perfect
Perfect on {100}
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven
Density (measured):5.9 g/cm3
Density (calculated):5.966 g/cm3

Crystallography of Gersdorffite

Crystal System:Isometric
Class (H-M):m3 (2/m 3) - Diploidal
Space Group:Pa3 {P21/a 3}
Space Group Setting:Pa3
Cell Parameters:a = 5.66(6) Å
Unit Cell Volume:V 181.32 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Octahedral, cubes, some dodecahedral modifications, pyritohedral.
Crystal Atlas:
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Gersdorffite no.7 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Gersdorffite no.10 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

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Optical Data of Gersdorffite

Type:Isotropic
Colour in reflected light:White

Chemical Properties of Gersdorffite

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

Relationship of Gersdorffite to other Species

Series:Forms a series with Cobaltite (see here)
Member of:Cobaltite Group
Other Members of Group:

- +
Changchengite
IrBiS
Cobaltite
CoAsS
Hollingworthite
(Rh,Pt,Pd)AsS
Irarsite
(Ir,Ru,Rh,Pt)AsS
Jolliffeite
NiAsSe
Kalungaite
PdAsSe
Krutovite
NiAs
 
2
Maslovite
PtBiTe
Mayingite
IrBiTe
Michenerite
PdBiTe
Milotaite
PdSbSe
Padmaite
PdBiSe
Platarsite
(Pt,Rh,Ru)AsS
Testibiopalladite
PdTe(Sb,Te)
Tolovkite
IrSbS
Ullmannite
NiSbS
Willyamite
(Co,Ni)SbS
Common Associates:
SideriteNickelskutteruditeNickelskutterudite
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.05aVillamaninite
(Cu,Ni,Co,Fe)S
 
2
2.EB.05aDzharkenite
FeSe
 
2
2.EB.05aGaotaiite
Ir
 
3
Te
 
8
2.EB.10bAlloclasite
Co
 
1-x
Fe
 
x
AsS
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.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,Ni)As
 
2
2.EB.15bSeinäjokite
(Fe,Ni)(Sb,As)
 
2
2.EB.20Arsenopyrite
FeAsS
2.EB.20Gudmundite
FeSbS
2.EB.20Osarsite
(Os,Ru)AsS
2.EB.20Ruarsite
(Ru,Os)AsS
2.EB.25Cobaltite
CoAsS
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:

- +
3.11.1Heazlewoodite
Ni
 
3
S
 
2
3.11.2Godlevskite
(Ni,Fe)
 
9
S
 
8
3.11.3Millerite
NiS
3.11.4Polydymite
Ni
2+
 
Ni
3+
2
S
 
4
3.11.5Vaesite
NiS
 
2
3.11.6Shandite
Ni
 
3
Pb
 
2
S
 
2
3.11.7Donharrisite
Ni
 
8
Hg
 
3
S
 
9
3.11.8Violarite
Fe
2+
 
Ni
3+
2
S
 
4
3.11.9Pentlandite
(Fe,Ni)
 
9
S
 
8
3.11.10Bravoite
(Fe,Ni)S
 
2
3.11.11Siegenite
CoNi
 
2
S
 
4
 -NiCo
 
2
S
 
4
3.11.12Fletcherite
Cu(Ni,Co)
 
2
S
 
4
3.11.13Villamaninite
(Cu,Ni,Co,Fe)S
 
2
3.11.14Mäkinenite
γ-NiSe
3.11.15Sederholmite
beta-NiSe
3.11.16Trüstedtite
Ni
 
3
Se
 
4
3.11.17Wilkmanite
Ni
 
3
Se
 
4
3.11.18Kullerudite
NiSe
 
2
3.11.19Penroseite
(Ni,Co,Cu)Se
 
2
3.11.20Tyrrellite
Cu(Co
3+
 
,Ni
3+
 
)
 
2
Se
 
4
3.11.21Imgreite
NiTe (?)
3.11.22Melonite
NiTe
 
2
3.11.23Kitkaite
NiTeSe
3.11.24Dienerite
3.11.25Orcelite
Ni
 
5-x
As
 
2
3.11.26Maucherite
Ni
 
11
As
 
8
3.11.27Nickeline
NiAs
3.11.28Rammelsbergite
NiAs
 
2
3.11.29Pararammelsbergite
NiAs
 
2
3.11.30Nickelskutterudite
NiAs
 
2-3
3.11.31Oregonite
Ni
 
2
FeAs
 
2
3.11.32Westerveldite
(Fe,Ni,Co)As
3.11.33Langisite
(Co,Ni)As
3.11.35Jolliffeite
NiAsSe
3.11.36Breithauptite
NiSb
3.11.38Ullmannite
NiSbS
3.11.39Willyamite
(Co,Ni)SbS

Other Names for Gersdorffite

Synonyms:
AmoibiteDisosmoseDobschauiteNickelarsenikglanzNickelarsenikkies
NickelarsenkiesNickelglanzPlessite (of Dana)Stirian
Other Languages:
German:Amoibit
Arseniknickelglanz
Arsennickelglanz
Dobschauit
Gersdorffit
Wodankies
Russian:Герсдорфит
Simplified Chinese:辉砷镍矿
Spanish:Amoibita
Dobschauita
Gersdorffita
Varieties:
Antimonian GersdorffiteCobaltoan Gersdorffite

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 Gersdorffite

Reference List:

- +
Ramsdell (1925): American Mineralogist 10, 281.

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: 298-300.

P. Bayliss (1968): The different crystal structures of gersdorffite (NiAsS). Can. Mineral. 9, 570 (abstract).

American Mineralogist (1968): 53: 290-293.

Mineralogical Mineralogist: 36: 940-947.

American Mineralogist (1982): 67: 1058-1064.

Internet Links for Gersdorffite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
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  • Gersdorffite details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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