Breithauptite - Encyclopedia
Class : Sulfides and sulfosalts
Subclass : Antimonides
Crystal system : Hexagonal
Chemistry : NiSb
Rarity : Rare
Breithauptite is a fairly rare nickel antimonide found in nickeliferous deposits, notably calcite-nickel-silver-cobalt hydrothermal veins. It is the antimony equivalent of nickeline with which it is associated almost constantly. Its name was given to it in honor of Johan Friedrich August Breithaupt, professor at the school of mines of Freiberg in Germany. It presents itself in a copper red mass with mauve reflections ; the crystals are extremely rare, hexagonal and flattened or prismatic, sometimes grouped in arborescences. It is an accessory ore of nickel.
Main photo : Breithauptite from Cobalt, Ontario, Canada © Jean-François Carpentier
Breithauptite in the World
Twinning
The {10-11} twin plane is known for this mineral species.
Fakes and treatments
No fake recorded for this mineral species.
Hardness : 5.5
Density : 7.59 to 8.23
Fracture : Irregular
Trace : Reddish brown
TP : Opaque
RI : -
Birefringence : -
Optical character : -
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : Nitric acid and hydrochloric acid
Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None