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Gersdorffite

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Aït Ahmane, Bou Azzer District, Tazenakht, Ouarzazate Province, Souss-Massa-Draâ Region, Morocco
© Rob Lavinsky

Show Gersdorffite Photos (25)
Formula:
NiAsS
System:IsometricColour:Gray, grayish black, ...
Lustre:MetallicHardness:5½
Name:Named after Herr von Gersdorff, owner of Schladming Mine, Austria (ca 1842)


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 Mt., Obertalbach valley, Schladminger Tauern Mts, Schladming, Styria, Austria
Year of Discovery:1845

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 {110}
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)
Cell Parameters:a = 5.66(6) Å
Unit Cell Volume:V 181.32 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Octahedral
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

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):
2.EB.05Aurostibite
AuSb
 
2
2.EB.05Bambollaite
Cu(Se,Te)
 
2
2.EB.05Cattierite
CoS
 
2
2.EB.05Erlichmanite
OsS
 
2
2.EB.05Fukuchilite
Cu
 
3
FeS
 
8
2.EB.05Geversite
PtSb
 
2
2.EB.05Hauerite
MnS
 
2
2.EB.05Insizwaite
Pt(Bi,Sb)
 
2
2.EB.05Krut'aite
CuSe
 
2
2.EB.05Laurite
RuS
 
2
2.EB.05Penroseite
(Ni,Co,Cu)Se
 
2
2.EB.05Pyrite
FeS
 
2
2.EB.05Sperrylite
PtAs
 
2
2.EB.05Trogtalite
CoSe
 
2
2.EB.05Vaesite
NiS
 
2
2.EB.05Villamanínite
(Cu,Ni,Co,Fe)S
 
2
2.EB.05Dzharkenite
FeSe
 
2
2.EB.05Gaotaiite
Ir
 
3
Te
 
8
2.EB.10Ferroselite
FeSe
 
2
2.EB.10Frohbergite
FeTe
 
2
2.EB.10Hastite
CoSe
 
2
2.EB.10Kullerudite
NiSe
 
2
2.EB.10Marcasite
FeS
 
2
2.EB.10Mattagamite
CoTe
 
2
2.EB.15Alloclasite
(Co
 
0.65
Fe
 
0.35
)AsS - CoAsS
2.EB.15Anduoite
(Ru,Os)As
 
2
2.EB.15Clinosafflorite
(Co,Fe,Ni)As
 
2
2.EB.15Costibite
CoSbS
2.EB.15Krutovite
NiAs
 
2
2.EB.15Löllingite
FeAs
 
2
2.EB.15Nisbite
NiSb
 
2
2.EB.15Omeiite
(Os,Ru)As
 
2
2.EB.15Paracostibite
CoSbS
2.EB.15Pararammelsbergite
NiAs
 
2
2.EB.15Rammelsbergite
NiAs
 
2
2.EB.15Safflorite
(Co,Fe)As
 
2
2.EB.15Seinäjokite
(Fe,Ni)(Sb,As)
 
2
2.EB.15Oenite
CoSbAs
2.EB.20Arsenopyrite
FeAsS - (Fe
 
0.90
Co
 
0.10
)AsS
2.EB.20Glaucodot
(Fe
 
0.65
Co
 
0.35
)AsS - (Co
 
0.65
Fe
 
0.35
)AsS
2.EB.20Gudmundite
FeSbS
2.EB.20Osarsite
(Os,Ru)AsS
2.EB.20Paxite
CuAs
 
2
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.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
3.11.12Fletcherite
Cu(Ni,Co)
 
2
S
 
4
3.11.13Villamanínite
(Cu,Ni,Co,Fe)S
 
2
3.11.14Mäkinenite
γ-NiSe
3.11.15Sederholmite
NiSe 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
Ni
 
3
As
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 ratio Co:Ni = 5:1
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
German names:
AmoibitArseniknickelglanzArsennickelglanzDobschauitGersdorffit
Wodankies
Russian names:
Герсдорфит
Spanish names:
AmoibitaDobschauitaGersdorffita
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.

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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    Localities for Gersdorffite

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