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Formula: Pd3Pb2S2
Sulphide, palladium-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 9.41 calculated
Hardness: 3½
Streak: Dark grey
Colour: Cream-coloured with a brownish tint
Environments
Localities
The type locality, the Kirakkajuppura PGE deposit, Sompujärvi Reef, Penikat complex, Lapland, Finland, locally
contains unusually high concentrations of platinum group elements,
mainly palladium, observed in altered
mafic-ultramafic rocks, predominantly
pyroxenite, which is nearly sulphide-free.
The platinum group element mineralisation is associated with
actinolite and clinochlore,
accessory chromite and minor base-metal sulphides such as
chalcopyrite, bornite,
millerite, and
secondary
chalcocite. The principal
platinum group minerals are
platinum- and nickel- poor
vysotskite,
zvyagintsevite, an unnamed
palladium–lead oxide,
Pd2+9Pb2+O10, and
platinum group element-rich
thiospinels of the
cuprorhodsite–malanite
series.
Nearly all the sulphur in the
platinum group element-rich, base-metal-sulphide-poor samples is
accounted for by the platinum group element-rich sulphides, mainly
vysotskite. The other
platinum-group minerals and
platinum group element-rich phases observed in the deposit include
laflammeite,
laurite–erlichmanite,
irarsite, keithconnite and
palladium-bearing native gold, in
addition to a series of unusual
lead–palladium-rich
thiospinels.
Commonly, laflammeite occurs as individual subhedral platelets up to 150 microns in size, and in intergrowths
with members of the
vysotskite–braggite series.
The largest crystal of laflammeite is 0.3 mm
(CM 40.2.671-678).
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