ERLICHMANITE

    Class : Sulfides and sulfosalts
    Subclass : Sulfides
    Crystal system : Cubic
    Chemistry : OsS2
    Rarity : Very rare

Erlichmanite is a very rare osmium sulfide which forms a series with laurite, ruthenium sulfide. Its name was given to it in honor of Jozef Erlichman, a NASA researcher. It is only known exclusively in millimetric grains in alluvial platinum-bearing placers which cross ultrabasic formations (pyroxenites and peridotites). However, extremely rare pyritohedral crystals not exceeding 1 mm are reported in the literature.

Main photo : Erlichmanite from Haraigawa, Misato, Shimomashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan  © D. Nishio Hamane

Erlichmanite in the World

Erlichmanite is only found in millimeter-sized grains in the platinum-bearing placers of Alaska and California, Canada (Princeton, British Columbia), the Urals, Siberia and Japan (Haraigawa). Erlichmanite also forms microscopic crystals (20µm) in an iron and platinum nugget discovered in the laterites of Birbir (Ethiopia).

Erlichmanite in France

In France, erlichmanite is described in New Caledonia at the Tiébaghi mine, in the ophiolites of Ouen Island as well as in the alluvium of the Ni and Pirogues rivers.

Twinning

No twin known for this mineral species.

Fakes and treatments

No fake listed for this mineral species.


Hardness : 4.5 to 5.5
Density : 8.28
Fracture : Undeterminated
Streak : Gray

TP : Opaque
RI : -
Birefringence : 0
Optical character : None
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None

Solubility : -


Magnetism : None
Radioactivity : None