Mineralpedia Details for Sperrylite
Sperrylite
Named for the discoverer of the mineral Francis Lewis Sperry, a chemist from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Sperryite is the most widespread and one of the most common platinum minerals and occurs in nearly every type of deposit in a couple hundred localities. Sperrylite is an ore of platinum and is particularly important at the Sudbury Basin in Ontario, Canada, the Stillwater complex in Montana, USA, and in the Bushveld complex in South Africa.
Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/sperrylite.pdf
- Formula
- PtAs2
- Crystal System
- Isometric
- Crystal Habit
- Disseminated, Crystalline - Fine
- Cleavage
- Indistinct, None, None
- Luster
- Metallic
- Color
- tin white
- Streak
- black
- Class
- Isometric - Diploidal
- Fracture
- Conchoidal
- Hardness
- 6-7
- WebMineral
- View Sperrylite
- Mindat
- View Sperrylite
Sperrylite from Talnakh deposit, near Noril'sk, Russia
Large crystal, may even be two crystals twinned by interpenetration. 2.4cm wide and looks as though it is crystallized as a pyritohedron.
Sperrylite from Noril'sk, Siberia, Russia
A very rich specimen with at least ten 1mm and less silvery Sperrylite crystals.
Sperrylite from Broken Hammer dep., Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Well-formed, complex 3mm shiny silvery crystal of Sperrylite. There are a few others, but are fractured grains.
