Named in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston, who discovered the metal, though it was not a native mineral. The name is derived from the Greek rhodon (ῥόδον) meaning 'rose', for "the rose-colour of a dilute solution of the salts containing it".

Co-Type Localities:

ⓘ Stillwater Complex, Montana, USA
ⓘ Stillwater Mine, Stillwater County, Montana, USA

This page provides mineralogical data about Rhodium.

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

3404

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:3404:9

GUID
(UUID V4):

56221c0a-bf40-4184-a549-060822fe5401

IMA Classification of RhodiumHide

IMA status:

Approved

IMA Formula:

Type description reference:

Canadian Mineralogist(1974) 12, 399-403

Classification of RhodiumHide

Strunz-mindat (2024):

1.AF.10

1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
A : Metals and Intermetallic Alloys
F : Platinum group elements

Dana 7th ed.:

1.2.1.3

Dana 8th ed.:

1.2.1.3

1 : NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS
2 : Platinum Group Metals and Alloys

Hey's CIM Ref.:

1.89

1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Symbol	Source	Reference
Rh	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Physical Properties of RhodiumHide

Lustre:

Metallic

Transparency:

Opaque

Colour:

Silver-white

Hardness:

3½ on Mohs scale

Hardness:

VHN₃₀=136 - 194 kg/mm² - Vickers

Comment:

VHN average 165

Density:

16.5 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Optical Data of RhodiumHide

Type:

Isotropic

Reflectivity:

Wavelength	R
470nm	75.2%
546nm	72.6%
589nm	73.3%
650nm	75.7%

Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Top of box is 100%. Peak reflectance is 75.7%.

Colour in reflected light:

bright white

Chemistry of RhodiumHide

Mindat Formula:

(Rh,Pt)

Elements listed:

Pt, Rh - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of RhodiumHide

Crystal System:

Isometric

Class (H-M):

m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral

Space Group:

Fm3m

Setting:

Fm3m

Cell Parameters:

a = 3.856(1) Å

Unit Cell V:

57.33 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Morphology:

subhedral grains, to 200 µm

Comment:

synthetic

Crystal StructureHide

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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure

ID	Species	Reference	Link	Year	Locality	Pressure (GPa)	Temp (K)
0011159	Rhodium	Wyckoff R W G (1963) Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York Cubic closest packed, ccp, structure Crystal Structures 1 7-83		1963		0	293
0014948	Rhodium	Owen E A, Yates E L (1933) Precision measurements of crystal parameters Philosophical Magazine 15 472-488		1933	synthetic	0	291

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

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loop_
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_journal_name_full 'Crystal Structures'
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_journal_year 1963
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_publ_section_title
;
 Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York
 Cubic closest packed, ccp, structure
;
_database_code_amcsd 0011159
_chemical_formula_sum 'Rh'
_cell_length_a 3.8031
_cell_length_b 3.8031
_cell_length_c 3.8031
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 90
_cell_angle_gamma 90
_cell_volume 55.006
_exptl_crystal_density_diffrn     12.426
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loop_
_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
Rh   0.00000   0.00000   0.00000

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
0.7874 Å	(100)
0.8623 Å	(80)
0.8847 Å	(70)
0.9639 Å	(20)
1.112 Å	(10)
1.162 Å	(50)
1.362 Å	(50)
1.927 Å	(30)
2.227 Å	(60)

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
Near-surface Processes
26 : Hadean detrital minerals
Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks	>3.0
36 : Carbonatites, kimberlites, and related igneous rocks
37 : Layered igneous intrusions and related PGE minerals
Stage 5: Initiation of plate tectonics	<3.5-2.5
38 : Ophiolites

Type Occurrence of RhodiumHide

Co-Type Localities:

ⓘ Stillwater Complex, Montana, USA
ⓘ Stillwater Mine, Stillwater County, Montana, USA

General Appearance of Type Material:

175x195 micron subhedral grain

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada, M33257.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Platinum	Gold	Moncheite	Kotulskite	Merenskyite
Cooperite	Braggite	Vysotskite	Sperrylite	Pyrite
Chalcopyrite	Pyrrhotite	Chromite	Magnetite	Marcasite
Violarite	Graphite

Reference:

Cabri, L.J., Laflamme, J.H.G. (1974) Rhodium, platinum and gold alloys from the Stillwater Complex. The Canadian Mineralogist: 12: 399-403.

Synonyms of RhodiumHide

IMA1974-012

Platinum-Group Elements (in part)

Other Language Names for RhodiumHide

German:Rhodium (Synonym)

Russian:Родий

Simplified Chinese:自然铑

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

1.AF.05	Osmium	(Os,Ir,Ru)	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6₃/mmc
1.AF.05	Rutheniridosmine	(Ir,Os,Ru)	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6₃/mmc
1.AF.05	Ruthenium	(Ru,Ir)	Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P6₃/mmc
1.AF.10	Iridium	(Ir,Os,Ru)	Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
1.AF.10	Palladium	(Pd,Pt)	Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
1.AF.10	Platinum	Pt	Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m

Other InformationHide

Health Risks:

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

Internet Links for RhodiumHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-3404.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

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References for RhodiumHide

Reference List:

Canadian Mineralogist(1974) 12, 399-403

Fleischer, Michael, Chao, George Y., Mandarino, Joseph A. (1976) New Mineral Names. American Mineralogist, 61 (3-4) 338-341

Cabri, L.J. (1981) Platinum-group elements : mineralogy, geology, recovery. Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, Special Volume 23: 132-133.

Cabri, L.J. (1981) Platinum-group elements : mineralogy, geology, recovery. Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, Special Volume 23: 155.

Page, N.J., Pallister, J.S., Brown, M.A., Smewing, J.D., Haffty, J. (1982) Palladium, platinum, rhodium, iridium and ruthenium in chromite–rich rocks from the Samail ophiolite, Oman. The Canadian Mineralogist: 20: 537-548.

Page, N.J., Talkington, R.W. (1984) Palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium and iridium in peridotites and chromitites from ophiolite complexes in Newfoundland. The Canadian Mineralogist: 22: 137-149.

Harris, D. C., Cabri, L. J. (1991) Nomenclature of platinum-group-element alloys: review and revision. The Canadian Mineralogist, 29 (2) 231-237

(2023) Rhodium. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Localities for RhodiumHide

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the

symbol to view information about a locality. The

symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Locality ListHide

- This locality has map coordinates listed.

- This locality has estimated coordinates. ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence. ? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.

- Good crystals or important locality for species.

- World class for species or very significant. (TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species. (FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.


Australia
New South Wales Rous Co. Ballina ⓘ Shelly Beach ?	Carlo Tortorella
Tasmania West Coast municipality Rosebery district ⓘ Wilson River mineral field	G. A. Albertson Data +1 other reference
Western Australia Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire Ora Banda Goldfield ⓘ Ora Banda PGE occurrence	Butt et al. (2003)

China
Tibet Shannan Prefecture (Lhokha Prefecture; Lhoka Prefecture) Qusum Co. (Qusong Co.) ⓘ Luobusha ophiolite ("Luobusa ophiolite")	- (n.d.)

Colombia
Caldas Department Riosucio ⓘ Atrato River	Robert C. Smith

Russia
Irkutsk Oblast Bodaybinsky District Bodaibo Lena Gold District Kropotkinsky ore cluster ⓘ Sukhoi Log deposit	www.igem.ru (2001)

South Africa
Limpopo Sekhukhune District Municipality Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality Burgersfort ⓘ Maandagshoek farm	Melcher et al. (2005)
North West Bojanala Platinum District Municipality Madibeng Local Municipality Mooinooi ⓘ Mooinooi Mine	www.sylvaniaplatinum.com (2014)
Moses Kotane Local Municipality ⓘ Pilanesberg platinum mines	www.platmin.com (2012)
ⓘ North Mine	www.platmin.com (2012)
ⓘ South Mine	www.platmin.com (2012)
ⓘ Zanspruit Farm	www.platmin.com (2012)
Rustenburg Local Municipality Marikana ⓘ Lonmin Marikana Mine	www.lonmin.com (2014)
ⓘ Marikana Mine	aquariusplatinum.com (n.d.)
Rustenburg Frischgewaagd Farm ⓘ Bakubung Mine	www.wesizwe.com (2013)
ⓘ Impala Platinum mines	www.implats.co.za (2011)

Sweden
Jönköping County Vetlanda Alseda ⓘ Kleva mine	Wilke (1997)

USA
Alaska Bethel Census Area Goodnews Bay Salmon River - Red Mountain District ⓘ Fox Gulch	Anthony et al. (1990)
Montana ⓘ Stillwater Complex (TL)	Cabri et al. (1974)
Stillwater County ⓘ Stillwater Mine (TL)	Gobla (2012)
North Carolina Jackson County Webster-Balsam ⓘ Webster-Addie ultramafic ring dike ?	Edwin H.Bentzen III (1971)

Zimbabwe
Midlands Shurugwi District ⓘ Umtebekwe River	Oberthür et al. (2013)

Rhodium

About RhodiumHide