Nickelblende

Nickelblende is a colloquial and outdated term, primarily used historically, to refer to minerals that contain nickel and are often found in association with other metallic ores. The term itself is derived from German, where "blende" means to deceive or to mix, reflecting the fact that these nickel-bearing minerals were often found alongside more valuable or recognizable ores, making their identification and extraction challenging.

The most common mineral historically referred to as nickelblende is Garnierite, which is not a single mineral species but rather a group of nickel-magnesium silicate minerals. These minerals typically occur in weathered zones of ultramafic rocks, such as peridotites and serpentinites. Garnierite is an important ore of nickel, particularly in deposits like those found in New Caledonia, which gave the mineral group its name. The appearance of garnierite can vary, but it is often described as earthy, amorphous, and green to greenish-yellow.

Another mineral that might have been loosely included under the umbrella term nickelblende is Pentlandite. Pentlandite is the primary ore of nickel worldwide and is a sulfide mineral. It is commonly found in mafic and ultramafic igneous intrusions, often in association with pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite. The term nickelblende generally predates the precise mineralogical classification and understanding of these different nickel-bearing compounds, leading to its less specific usage. Today, geologists and mineralogists use precise mineral names like Garnierite and Pentlandite to avoid confusion.