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Formula: Fe3Pt
Alloy of iron and platinum
Crystal System: Isometric
Specific gravity: 11.815 calculated for the average chemical composition
Environments
Sidorovite is a new mineral, approved in 2022.
Localities
At the type locality, the Snegovaya River placer, Olyutorsky district, Koryak Okrug, Kamchatka Krai, Russia,
sidorovite was found in heavy-mineral concentrates derived from the placer occurrence; it also occurs within
bedrock chromitite veins and schlieren in
dunite of the Epilchik complex. The Epilchik complex consists of three
outcrops, each having a dunite core with a rim that grades outwards
from wehrlite to
clinopyroxenite and to
gabbro. In this type of complex, the highest concentrations of
platinum occur in
chromitites associated with
dunite units. The most common
platinum group mineral within the this complex is
isoferroplatinum, which typically forms as inclusions ranging in
size from 10 to 75 microns within chromite. Other
platinum group minerals found include
tetraferroplatinum and
tulameenite, occurring either as
secondary rims on
isoferroplatinum or as discrete inclusions or veinlets in
chromite.
Sidorovite was found within a complex platinum group mineral
grain that includes tetraferroplatinum,
irarsite, magnetite,
hexaferrum and
platinum-bearing native iron.
The alluvial assemblage is similar to that of the bedrock
chromitite but includes a more diverse range of rare mineral
species, including native osmium,
native iridium, laurite,
malanite, cuproiridsite,
cuprorhodsite, osarsite,
sperrylite, irarsite,
hollingworthite and
native gold. Sidorovite was found as crystals less than 5 microns in
size intergrown with tetraferroplatinum as a complex rim
surrounding isoferroplatinum
(CJMP 61.1021-1030).
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