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Formula: Ni3Pb2S2
Sulphide of nickel and lead
Crystal System: Trigonal
Specific gravity: 8.72 measured, 8.87 calculated
Hardness: 4
Colour: Brass-yellow
Common impurities: Zn,Fe,Co,Mn
Environments
Igneous environments
Metamorphic environments
Localities
At the type locality, the Nickel Reward mine, Trial Harbour district, West Coast municipality, Tasmania, Australia,
shandite occurs in serpentine associated with
heazlewoodite,
pentlandite,
sphalerite, chromite and
magnetite
(HOM).
At the Jeffrey Mine, Val-des-Sources, Les Sources RCM, Estrie, Quebec, Canada,
nisnite has been found, closely associated with
chromite, diopside,
grossular, heazlewoodite
and shandite
(CM 49.651-656).
At Kitdlît, Disko Island, Qeqertalik, Greenland, shandite occurs in segregations in an
iron-rich lens in basalt,
associated with galena, altaite,
lead, iron and
troilite
(HOM).
At the Isua belt, Nuuk, Sermersooq, Greenland, shandite has been identified in a
metadunite. It forms a thin continuous rim on
heazlewoodite which, in addition, contains patches of
cobalt-rich pentlandite.
Magnesium-
and nickel- rich magnetite is
associated with these sulphide aggregates as well. The shandite is interpreted to have formed during
prograde metamorphism of serpentinite from a
pentlandite precursor phase, by a continuous reaction that involved
desulphidation and oxidation of iron. The
lead needed to form shandite may have been present in the precursor
phase, or it was extracted from the environment during reaction
(CM.25.245-249).
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