Formula: NiAs
Arsenide
Specific gravity: 7.784
Hardness: 5 to 5½
Streak: Pale brownish black
Colour: Pale copper red
Solubility: Soluble in aqua regia
(Dana
Environments:
Plutonic igneous environments
Hydrothermal environments
Nickeline is a minor component of nickel-copper ores in high-temperature hydrothermal veins; it also
occurs disseminated in
peridotite and
norite.
In ore deposits derived from norites nickeline is associated with
pyrrhotite and
chalcopyrite
(Dana).
In vein deposits it is associated with cobalt and silver minerals
(Dana).
Other associated minerals include skutterudite,
nickelskutterudite,
safflorite,
rammelsbergite,
gersdorffite,
maucherite,
breithauptite,
michenerite,
bismuth and bismuthinite
(HOM).
Nickeline occurs in copper deposits at the Keweenaw peninsula, Michigan, USA
(Dana).
Common impurities: Sb,Fe,Co,S
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