Violarite
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Formula:
Fe2+Ni23+S4
System:
Isometric
Colour:
Violet gray, copper red, ...
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
4½ - 5½
Member of:
Name:
From Latin "viola", violet, alluding to the color of the mineral, especially if viewed with a reflected-light microscope.
Classification of Violarite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
2/D.01-70
2.DA.05
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
D : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 3 :4 and 2:3
A : M:S = 3:4
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
D : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 3 :4 and 2:3
A : M:S = 3:4
2.10.1.8
2 : SULFIDES
10 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 3:4
2 : SULFIDES
10 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 3:4
3.11.8
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
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
Physical Properties of Violarite
Metallic
Diaphaneity (Transparency):
Opaque
Colour:
Violet gray, copper red, light gray, or steel gray
Streak:
Black
Hardness (Mohs):
4½ - 5½
Cleavage:
Perfect
Perfect
Perfect
Optical Data of Violarite
Type:
Isotropic
Chemical Properties of Violarite
Formula:
Fe2+Ni23+S4
Elements listed in formula:
Common Impurities:
Co,Cu
Crystallography of Violarite
Crystal System:
Isometric
Cell Parameters:
a = 9.46 Å
Unit Cell Volume:
V 846.59 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Type Occurrence of Violarite
Relationship of Violarite to other Species
Series:
Member of:
Other Members of Group:
| Bornhardtite | Co2+Co23+Se4 |
| Cadmoindite | CdIn2S4 |
| Carrollite | Cu(Co,Ni)2S4 |
| Cuproiridsite | (Cu,Fe)Ir2S4 |
| Cuprokalininite | CuCr2S4 |
| Cuprorhodsite | (Cu,Fe)Rh2S4 |
| Daubréelite | Fe2+Cr23+S4 |
| Ferrorhodsite | (Fe,Cu)(Rh,Ir,Pt)2S4 |
| Fletcherite | Cu(Ni,Co)2S4 |
| Florensovite | (Cu,Zn)Cr1.5Sb0.5S4 |
| Greigite | Fe2+Fe23+S4 |
| Indite | FeIn2S4 |
| Joegoldsteinite | MnCr2S4 |
| Kalininite | ZnCr2S4 |
| Linnaeite | Co2+Co23+S4 |
| Malanite | Cu(Pt3+,Ir3+)2S4 |
| Polydymite | Ni2+Ni23+S4 |
| Siegenite | CoNi2S4 |
| Trüstedtite | Ni3Se4 |
| Tyrrellite | Cu(Co3+,Ni3+)2Se4 |
| Xingzhongite | (Pb,Cu,Fe)(Ir,Pt,Rh)2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Bornhardtite | Co2+Co23+Se4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Carrollite | Cu(Co,Ni)2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Cuproiridsite | (Cu,Fe)Ir2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Cuprorhodsite | (Cu,Fe)Rh2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Daubréelite | Fe2+Cr23+S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Fletcherite | Cu(Ni,Co)2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Florensovite | (Cu,Zn)Cr1.5Sb0.5S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Greigite | Fe2+Fe23+S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Indite | FeIn2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Kalininite | ZnCr2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Linnaeite | Co2+Co23+S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Malanite | Cu(Pt3+,Ir3+)2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Polydymite | Ni2+Ni23+S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Siegenite | CoNi2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Trüstedtite | Ni3Se4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Tyrrellite | Cu(Co3+,Ni3+)2Se4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Xingzhongite | (Pb,Cu,Fe)(Ir,Pt,Rh)2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Ferrorhodsite | (Fe,Cu)(Rh,Ir,Pt)2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Cadmoindite | CdIn2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Cuprokalininite | CuCr2S4 |
| 2.DA.10 | Rhodostannite | Cu2FeSn3S8 |
| 2.DA.10 | Toyohaite | Ag2FeSn3S8 |
| 2.DA.15 | Brezinaite | Cr3S4 |
| 2.DA.15 | Heideite | (Fe,Cr)1.15(Ti,Fe)2S4 |
| 2.DA.20 | Inaglyite | Cu3Pb(Ir,Pt)8S16 |
| 2.DA.20 | Konderite | Cu3Pb(Rh,Pt,Ir)8S16 |
| 2.DA.25 | Kingstonite | (Rh,Ir,Pt)3S4 |
| 3.11.1 | Heazlewoodite | Ni3S2 |
| 3.11.2 | Godlevskite | (Ni,Fe)9S8 |
| 3.11.3 | Millerite | NiS |
| 3.11.4 | Polydymite | Ni2+Ni23+S4 |
| 3.11.5 | Vaesite | NiS2 |
| 3.11.6 | Shandite | Ni3Pb2S2 |
| 3.11.7 | Donharrisite | Ni3HgS3 |
| 3.11.9 | Pentlandite | (Fe,Ni)9S8 |
| 3.11.10 | Bravoite | (Fe,Ni)S2 |
| 3.11.11 | Siegenite | CoNi2S4 |
| 3.11.12 | Fletcherite | Cu(Ni,Co)2S4 |
| 3.11.13 | Villamaninite | (Cu,Ni,Co,Fe)S2 |
| 3.11.14 | Mäkinenite | γ-NiSe |
| 3.11.15 | Sederholmite | beta-NiSe |
| 3.11.16 | Trüstedtite | Ni3Se4 |
| 3.11.17 | Wilkmanite | Ni3Se4 |
| 3.11.18 | Kullerudite | NiSe2 |
| 3.11.19 | Penroseite | (Ni,Co,Cu)Se2 |
| 3.11.20 | Tyrrellite | Cu(Co3+,Ni3+)2Se4 |
| 3.11.21 | Imgreite | NiTe (?) |
| 3.11.22 | Melonite | NiTe2 |
| 3.11.23 | Kitkaite | NiTeSe |
| 3.11.24 | Dienerite | |
| 3.11.25 | Orcelite | Ni5-xAs2, x ~ 0.25 |
| 3.11.26 | Maucherite | Ni11As8 |
| 3.11.27 | Nickeline | NiAs |
| 3.11.28 | Rammelsbergite | NiAs2 |
| 3.11.29 | Pararammelsbergite | NiAs2 |
| 3.11.30 | Nickelskutterudite | (Ni,Co,Fe)As3 |
| 3.11.31 | Oregonite | Ni2FeAs2 |
| 3.11.32 | Westerveldite | (Fe,Ni,Co)As |
| 3.11.33 | Langisite | (Co,Ni)As |
| 3.11.34 | Gersdorffite | NiAsS |
| 3.11.35 | Jolliffeite | NiAsSe |
| 3.11.36 | Breithauptite | NiSb |
| 3.11.38 | Ullmannite | NiSbS |
| 3.11.39 | Willyamite | (Co,Ni)SbS |
Other Names for Violarite
Name in Other Languages:
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
References for Violarite
Reference List:
Clark, F.W. & Catlett, C. (1889) A platinoferrous nickel ore from Canada, Laspeyres’s (sic) polydymite. American Journal of Science: 37: 372-374.
Lindgren, W. & Davy, W.M. (1924) Nickel ores from the Key West mine, Nevada. Economic Geology: 19 309-319.
Short, M.N. & Shannon, E.V. (1930) Violarite and other nickel sulphides. American Mineralogist: 15: 1-22.
Milton, C. and Axelrod, J. M. (1955) Beyrichite, a discredited species. American Mineralogist: 40: 757-770.
Berry, L.G. and R.M. Thompson (1962) X-ray powder data for the ore minerals. Geological Society of America Mem: 85: 77-78.
Canadian Mineralogist (1969) 6: 629-643.
Misra, K.C. and M.E. Fleet (1974) Chemical composition and stability of violarite: Economic Geology: 69: 391-403.
Dunn, J.G., & V.L. Howes (1996) The oxidation of violarite: Thermochimica Acta: 282/283: 305-316.
Grguric, B.A. (2002) Hypogene violarite of exsolution origin from Mount Keith, Western Australia: field evidence for a stable pentlandite-violarite tie line: Mineralogical Magazine: 66: 313-326.
Tenailleau, C., Pring, A., Tschmann, B., Brugger, J., Grguric, B. and Putnis, A. (2006) Transformation of pentlandite to violarite under mild hydrothermal conditions: American Mineralogist: 91: 706-709.
Lindgren, W. & Davy, W.M. (1924) Nickel ores from the Key West mine, Nevada. Economic Geology: 19 309-319.
Short, M.N. & Shannon, E.V. (1930) Violarite and other nickel sulphides. American Mineralogist: 15: 1-22.
Milton, C. and Axelrod, J. M. (1955) Beyrichite, a discredited species. American Mineralogist: 40: 757-770.
Berry, L.G. and R.M. Thompson (1962) X-ray powder data for the ore minerals. Geological Society of America Mem: 85: 77-78.
Canadian Mineralogist (1969) 6: 629-643.
Misra, K.C. and M.E. Fleet (1974) Chemical composition and stability of violarite: Economic Geology: 69: 391-403.
Dunn, J.G., & V.L. Howes (1996) The oxidation of violarite: Thermochimica Acta: 282/283: 305-316.
Grguric, B.A. (2002) Hypogene violarite of exsolution origin from Mount Keith, Western Australia: field evidence for a stable pentlandite-violarite tie line: Mineralogical Magazine: 66: 313-326.
Tenailleau, C., Pring, A., Tschmann, B., Brugger, J., Grguric, B. and Putnis, A. (2006) Transformation of pentlandite to violarite under mild hydrothermal conditions: American Mineralogist: 91: 706-709.
Internet Links for Violarite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-4187.html
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