Breithauptite
Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Archaeodontosaurus" title="User:Archaeodontosaurus">Didier Descouens</a> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mineral NameBreithauptite
Chemical FormulaNiSb
Mohs Hardness5.5
Crystal Systemhexagonal
Lustermetallic
Streak Colorreddish-brown
Cleavagenone
Fractureuneven
Specific Gravity7.7
Colorslight copper-red, reddish-violet, reddish-purple
Transparencyopaque
Type LocalityCobalt area, Cobalt-Gowganda region, Timiskaming District, Ontario, Canada
Mineral GroupSulfides (specifically, an antimonide)
Usescollector, minor ore of nickel and antimony
Associated Mineralsnickeline, cobaltite, skutterudite, silver, calcite, siderite
Rarityuncommon
Description
This specimen features a metallic, reddish-purple to copper-red mineral, likely Breithauptite, intergrown with a lighter-colored, possibly quartz or calcite, matrix. The lower view reveals a more extensive, somewhat patterned or dendritic growth of the metallic mineral against the white to grey host rock.
Geological Context
Breithauptite is a rare hydrothermal mineral typically found in high-temperature veins, often associated with nickel-cobalt-silver deposits. It forms in environments rich in nickel and antimony.
