Malanite

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Formula: Cu¹⁺(Ir³⁺Pt⁴⁺)S₄
Sulphide, carrollite subgroup, thiospinel group, spinel supergroup, forms series with cuproiridsite and with cuprorhodsite, platinum and iridium bearing mineral
Crystal System: Isometric
Specific gravity: 7.46 calculated
Hardness: 5
Streak: Black
Colour: Steel-grey
Common impurities: Ni,Co,Fe,Pd
Environments

Plutonic igneous environments

Localities

There are two co-type localities, Shuangfeng village, Xinglong County, Chengde, and an unnamed Ni-Cu deposit, Malan river valley, Zunhua county, Tangshan, both in Hebei, China.

At an unnamed Ni-Cu deposit, Malan river valley, Zunhua county, Tangshan, Hebei, China, malanite occurs in peridotite-type platinum ores with copper-nickel sulphides. Associated minerals include pentlandite, pyrrhotite, bornite, magnetite, cooperite, sperrylite, moncheite, platinum, olivine, pyroxenes, serpentine and chlorite (HOM).

At Shuangfeng village, Xinglong County, Chengde, Hebei, China, malanite is associated with osmium-bearing iridium and iron-bearing platinum (HOM).

At the Konder alkaline-ultrabasic massif (Konder placers; Konder mine; Kondyor) Ayan-Maya district, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, malanite is associated with osmium, laurite and isoferroplatinum (HOM).

At the Imandra layered complex, Murmansk Oblast, Russia, ruthenium-rich pyrite and an unusual iridium-rhodium-poor nickel-bearing malanite occur in a chromitite layer in the complex. A very low amount of the base-metal sulphide minerals, (chalcopyrite, pyrite, bornite, millerite and pentlandite) and their very small grain-size are characteristic features of the deposit. The sulphide minerals were typically enclosed by hydrous silicates, predominantly calcium amphibole, but some are also present as inclusions in chromite. The platinum group minerals (laurite-erlichmanite, sperrylite, cooperite, hollingworthite, platarsite and possibly isoferroplatinum) are mainly present as minute inclusions in hydrous silicates and at the chromite-hydrous silicate grain boundaries. The malanite occurs as anhedral grains enclosed within hydrous silicates (CM 35.4.887-897).

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