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Rammelsbergite

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Měděnec (Kupferberg), Klášterec nad Ohří, Krušné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge), Ústí Region, Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Czech Republic
© Elmar Lackner

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Formula:
NiAs
 
2
System:OrthorhombicColour:Tin white with faint ...
Lustre:MetallicHardness:5½ - 6
Member of:Löllingite Group
Name:
Named in 1855 by James D. Dana in honor of Karl Friedrich August Rammelsberg [April 1, 1813 Berlin, Germany (Prussia)– December 28, 1899 Gross Lichterfelde, Germany], German chemist and mineralogist who taught at University of Berlin and at the Royal Industrial Institute. He published many significant books on systematic mineralogy.
Polymorph of:Krutovite, Pararammelsbergite
Isostructural with:Marcasite


Löllingite Group.

Classification of Rammelsbergite

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:2/D.23-30
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:2.EB.15a

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:2.12.2.12

2 : SULFIDES
12 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:2
Hey's CIM Ref.:3.11.28

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 Rammelsbergite

Type Locality:Schneeberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
General Appearance of Type Material:Bright silvery metallic masses
Year of Discovery:1854

Occurrences of Rammelsbergite

Geological Setting:In moderate temperature hydrothermal veins

Physical Properties of Rammelsbergite

Lustre:Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:Tin white with faint pinkish hue
Streak:Grayish black
Hardness (Mohs):5½ - 6
Hardness (Vickers):VHN100=630 - 758 kg/mm2
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Distinct/Good
Good on {101}
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven
Density (measured):7.0 - 7.2 g/cm3
Density (calculated):7.091 g/cm3

Crystallography of Rammelsbergite

Crystal System:Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group:Pnnm {P21/n 21/n 2/m}
Space Group Setting:Pnnm
Cell Parameters:a = 4.759Å, b = 5.797Å, c = 3.539Å
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.821 : 1 : 0.61
Unit Cell Volume:V 97.63 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:2
Morphology:Usually massive. Prismatic crystals are rare.
Twinning:On {101}
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
d-spacingIntensity
2.82 (100)
2.52 (90)
2.42 (60)
2.00 (30)
1.84 (70)
1.75 (30)
1.66 (30)
1.21 (100)
Comments:ICDD 15-441

Optical Data of Rammelsbergite

Type:Anisotropic
Anisotropism:Strong, especially in blues
Reflectivity:
nmR=6.0-58.2 (540 nm%


Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 6.0-58.2 (540 nm%.
Colour in reflected light:White
Pleochroism:Weak
Comments:In yellowish to pinkish hue and bluish white

Chemical Properties of Rammelsbergite

Formula:
NiAs
 
2
Essential elements:As, Ni
All elements listed in formula:As, Ni
Common Impurities:Co,Se,S,Fe,Sb

Relationship of Rammelsbergite to other Species

Member of:Löllingite Group
Other Members of Group:

- +
Löllingite
FeAs
 
2
Nisbite
NiSb
 
2
Safflorite
CoAs
 
2
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
CoAs
 
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.15aSafflorite
CoAs
 
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.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:

- +
3.11.1Heazlewoodite
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
3.11.29Pararammelsbergite
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
3.11.34Gersdorffite
NiAsS
3.11.35Jolliffeite
NiAsSe
3.11.36Breithauptite
NiSb
3.11.38Ullmannite
NiSbS
3.11.39Willyamite
(Co,Ni)SbS

Other Names for Rammelsbergite

Synonyms:
Niguel blancoRammelsbergite (of Dana)
Other Languages:
German:Rammelsbergit
Russian:Раммельсбергит
Simplified Chinese:斜方砷镍矿
Spanish:Niquel Blanco
Rammelsbergita
Varieties:
Cobaltoan Rammelsbergite

Other Information

Fluorescence in UV light:Not fluorescent
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 Rammelsbergite

Reference List:

- +
Hofmann (1832), Ann. Phys.: 25: 491.

Breithaupt (1845), Ann. Phys.: 64: 184.

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: 309-310.

American Mineralogist (1963): 48: 271.

Radcliffe, D. (1967): Some properties of rammelsbergite and pararammelsbergite. Can. Mineral. 9, 128-131.

Internet Links for Rammelsbergite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
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