Penroseite Mineral Data

[Newest Minerals] [Minerals for Sale] [Educational Articles] [About Us] [Image Gallery]
John Betts - Fine Minerals
Classic minerals, out-of-print books & magazines, plus informative articles for collectors

General Penroseite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Ni,Co,Cu)Se2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 217.17 gm

Cobalt 8.14 % Co

Copper 2.93 % Cu

Nickel 16.22 % Ni

Selenium 72.72 % Se

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Ni_0.6Co_0.3Cu_0.1Se₂

Environment:

In hydrothermal veins.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1926

Locality:

Pacajake mine, Hiaco, 30 km east-northeast of Colquechaca, Potosí, Bolivia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Richard Alexander Fullerton Penrose, Jr. (1863-1931), American economic geologist, of Philaelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Name Pronunciation:

Penroseite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Blockite

ICSD 40330

PDF 41-1495

Penroseite Image

Images:

Penroseite

Comments: Silvery metallic penroseite masses in matrix.
Location: Unnamed prospect in Pacajake Canyon, near Culquechaca, Potosi, Bolivia. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Penroseite Kitkaite Sederholmite

Comments: B&W polished section image showing kitkaite replacing calcite in penroseite, clausthalite and sederholmite. Note the absence of the clausthalite envelope around kitkaite..
Location: Valley of the Kitka river in Kuusamo, northeast Finland. (AmMin, v50:581). Scale: 100 X.
© American Mineralogist

Penroseite Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.991, Z = 4; V = 215.03 Den(Calc)= 6.71

Crystal System:

Isometric - DiploidalH-M Symbol (2/m 3) Space Group: P a3

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.45(1), 2.68(1), 1.806(0.9),

Crystal Structure:

Mouse
drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
drag2 - RMB Resize/Rotate
Keyboard
S - Stereo Pair on/off
H - Help Screen
I - Data Info
A - Atoms On/Off
P - Polyhedra On/Off
B - Bonds On/Off
Help on Above

Furuseth S , Kjekshus A , Andresen A F , Acta Chemica Scandinavica , 23 (1969) p.2325-2334, On the magnetic properties of CoSe2, NiS2, and NiSe2, Locality: synthetic

Physical Properties of Penroseite

Cleavage:

{001} Perfect, {011} Distinct

Color:

Lead gray, Steel gray.

Density:

6.58 - 6.74, Average = 6.66

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Habit:

Columnar - Forms columns

Habit:

Radial - Crystals radiate from a center without producing stellar forms (e.g. stibnite)

Habit:

Reniform - "Kidney like" in shape (e.g.. hematite).

Hardness:

2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite

Luster:

Metallic

Streak:

black

Optical Properties of Penroseite

RL Color:

Creamy grayish white.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Penroseite in Air**
λ	R	∑ R(λ)
400 nm	39.00
420 nm	39.20
440 nm	39.40
460 nm	39.60
480 nm	40.00
500 nm	40.30
520 nm	40.70
540 nm	41.10
560 nm	41.50
580 nm	42.00
600 nm	42.50
620 nm	43.00
640 nm	43.30
660 nm	43.40
680 nm	43.70
700 nm	44.20

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Penroseite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	30%	60%	90%	100%	120%	150%	180%	210%	230%
R

Calculated Properties of Penroseite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=5.92 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Penroseite =6.71 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.05
Boson Index = 0.95

Photoelectric:

PE_Penroseite= 69.37 barns/electron
U=PE_Penroseite x rElectron Density= 410.66 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Penroseite is Not Radioactive

Penroseite Classification

Dana Class:

02.12.01.04 (02)Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides

(02.12)where Am Bn Xp, with (m+n):p=1:2

(02.12.01)Pyrite Group (Isometric: Pa3)

02.12.01.01 Pyrite FeS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.02 Vaesite NiS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.03 Cattierite CoS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.04 Penroseite (Ni,Co,Cu)Se2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.05 Trogtalite CoSe2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.06 Villamaninite (Cu,Ni,Co,Fe)S2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.07 Fukuchilite Cu3FeS8 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.08 Krutaite CuSe2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.09 Hauerite MnS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.10 Laurite RuS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.11 Aurostibite AuSb2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.12 Krutovite NiAs2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.13 Sperrylite PtAs2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.14 Geversite Pt(Sb,Bi)2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.15 Insizwaite Pt(Bi,Sb)2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.16 Erlichmanite OsS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.17 Dzharkenite FeSe2 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.18 Gaotaiite Ir3Te8 P a3 2/m 3

02.12.01.19 Mayingite IrBiTe P a3 2/m 3

Strunz Class:

02.EB.05a 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.E - Metal Sulfides, M:S £ 1:2

02.EB -M:S = 1:2, with Fe, Co, Ni, PGE, etc.

02.EB.05a Aurostibite AuSb2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Cattierite CoS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Hauerite MnS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Fukuchilite Cu3FeS8 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Dzharkenite FeSe2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Erlichmanite OsS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Geversite Pt(Sb,Bi)2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Gaotaiite Ir3Te8 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Insizwaite Pt(Bi,Sb)2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Laurite RuS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Krutaite CuSe2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Pyrite FeS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Penroseite (Ni,Co,Cu)Se2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Sperrylite PtAs2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Vaesite NiS2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Villamaninite (Cu,Ni,Co,Fe)S2 P a3 2/m 3

02.EB.05a Trogtalite CoSe2 P a3 2/m 3

Other Penroseite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic1) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Penroseite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - Google Images
6 - Google Scholar
7 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
9 - MinDAT
10 - MinMax(Deutsch)
11 - MinMax(English)
12 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

Search for Penroseite using:

[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [All-The-Web] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Scirus] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Penroseite :

AA Mineral Specimens

B & L Fine Minerals

Crystalarium.com

Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals

Dan Weinrich Auctions

Dakota Matrix

Desert Winds Gems and Minerals

John Betts Fine Minerals

Mason's Minerals

Mineral News

Mineral of the Month Club

Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Penroseite Mineral Data :

Ask about Penroseite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

Print or Cut-and-Paste your Penroseite Specimen Label here :

Penroseite

(Ni,Co,Cu)Se2
Dana No: 02.12.01.04 Strunz No: 02.EB.05a
Locality:

Notes: