Erlichmanite - Encyclopedia
Class : Sulfides and sulfosalts
Subclass : Sulfides
Crystal system : Cubic
Chemistry : OsS2
Rarity : Very rare
Erlichmanite is a very rare osmium sulfide which forms a series with laurite, ruthenium sulfide. Its name was given to it in honor of Jozef Erlichman, a NASA researcher. It is only known exclusively in millimetric grains in alluvial platinum-bearing placers which cross ultrabasic formations (pyroxenites and peridotites). However, extremely rare pyritohedral crystals not exceeding 1 mm are reported in the literature.
Main photo : Erlichmanite from Haraigawa, Misato, Shimomashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan © D. Nishio Hamane
Erlichmanite in the World
Twinning
No twin known for this mineral species.
Fakes and treatments
No fake listed for this mineral species.
Hardness : 4.5 to 5.5
Density : 8.28
Fracture : Undeterminated
Streak : Gray
TP : Opaque
RI : -
Birefringence : 0
Optical character : None
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None
Solubility : -
Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None