Nickelskutterudite
Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Archaeodontosaurus" title="User:Archaeodontosaurus">Didier Descouens</a> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mineral NameNickelskutterudite
Chemical Formula(Ni,Co,Fe)As₃
Mohs Hardness5.5
Crystal Systemcubic
Lustermetallic
Streak Colorblack
Cleavageindistinct
Fractureuneven
Specific Gravity6.7
Colorstin-white, steel-gray, silvery
Transparencyopaque
Type LocalitySchneeberg, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
Mineral GroupArsenides
Usesore of nickel and cobalt, collector
Associated Mineralsquartz, calcite, bismuth, silver, other arsenides
Rarityuncommon
Description
This specimen features small, silvery-metallic to steel-gray crystals of Nickelskutterudite, appearing granular and somewhat acicular, embedded within a white to light gray, crystalline matrix.
Geological Context
Nickelskutterudite typically forms in hydrothermal veins, often associated with cobalt-nickel-silver-bismuth-uranium (Co-Ni-Ag-Bi-U) deposits, found in various geological settings including metamorphic and igneous rocks.
