heazlewoodite

Heazlewoodite is a rare nickel sulfide mineral with the chemical formula Ni3S2. It is known for its distinct metallic luster and its characteristic pale brass-yellow to silvery-white color. The mineral typically occurs in massive, granular, or disseminated forms.

Heazlewoodite was first discovered in the Heazlewood River area of Tasmania, Australia, from which it derives its name. It is often found in serpentinized ultrabasic rocks, where it is thought to have formed through the alteration of nickel-bearing minerals. Other occurrences have been reported in various locations worldwide, including Norway, Canada, and South Africa.

The mineral's hardness is relatively low, typically ranging from 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale, and it has a specific gravity of about 5.6. Heazlewoodite is opaque and exhibits a metallic streak. It is not generally considered an economically important ore of nickel due to its rarity and the presence of more abundant nickel minerals. However, its unique mineralogical properties make it of interest to mineralogists and geologists studying the formation of nickel deposits and the geochemistry of serpentinite alteration.

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