Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
hexagonaluncommonSulfides
Molybdenite
MoS2
This specimen features lustrous, silvery-gray, flaky crystals with a distinct metallic luster, often forming stacked hexagonal plates. It has a characteristic soft, greasy feel.
Molybdenite Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
1Crystal System
hexagonalLuster
metallicStreak Color
bluish-gray to greenish-grayCleavage
perfect basal (one direction)Fracture
unevenSpecific Gravity
4.65Colors
lead-gray, bluish-gray, silvery-whiteTransparency
opaqueType Locality
Wolfram Camp, Dimbulah, Mareeba Shire, Queensland, AustraliaMineral Group
SulfidesUses
ore of molybdenum, lubricant, catalyst, semiconductor researchAssociated Minerals
quartz, fluorite, scheelite, wolframite, chalcopyrite, pyriteRarity
uncommonGeological Context
Molybdenite commonly forms in high-temperature hydrothermal veins, contact metamorphic deposits, and porphyry molybdenum deposits, typically associated with granitic intrusions. It is the primary ore mineral for molybdenum.
