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Wairauite

A valid IMA mineral species
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09311240017271927482486.jpg
Red Hills, Wairau Valley at about 1000 meters altitude

Red Hills, Wairau Valley, Marlborough Region, New Zealand
Formula:
CoFe
Colour:
Steel-gray
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
5
Specific Gravity:
8.32 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Isometric
Name:
Named after its discovery locality, Wairau Valley, South Island, New Zealand.
Compare 'UM1983-05-E:CoFe'.


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Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
4231
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:4231:0

Similar NamesHide

WairakiteA valid IMA mineral speciesCa(Al2Si4O12) · 2H2O

IMA Classification of WairauiteHide

Classification of WairauiteHide

Strunz-mindat (2026):
1.AE.15

1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
A : Metals and Intermetallic Alloys
E : Iron-chromium family
Dana 7th ed.:
1.1.18.1
Dana 8th ed.:
1.1.11.6

1 : NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS
1 : Metals, other than the Platinum Group
Hey's CIM Ref.:
1.60

1 : Elements and Alloys (including the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au)

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

SymbolSourceReference
WraIMA–CNMNCWarr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Physical Properties of WairauiteHide

Lustre:
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Steel-gray
Hardness:
5 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=255 - Vickers
Density:
8.32 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Chemistry of WairauiteHide

Mindat Formula:
CoFe
Element Weights:
Element% weight
Co51.345 %
Fe48.655 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.
Elements listed:
Co, Fe - search for minerals with similar chemistry
Common Impurities:
Ni

Crystallography of WairauiteHide

Crystal System:
Isometric
Class (H-M):
m3m (4/m 3 2/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group:
Pm3m
Setting:
Pm3m
Cell Parameters:
a = 2.857 Å
Unit Cell V:
23.32 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
1

Crystal StructureHide

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IDSpeciesReferenceLinkYearLocalityPressure (GPa)Temp (K)
0005254WairauiteBayliss P (1990) Revised unit cell dimensions, space group, and chemical formula of some metallic minerals The Canadian Mineralogist 28 751-75519900293
CIF Raw Data - click here to close

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacingIntensity
- Å()
Comments:
No published powder pattern data.

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic ModeEarliest Age (Ga)
Stage 2: Planetesimal differentiation and alteration4.566-4.550
6 : Secondary asteroid phases4.566-4.560
Stage 3b: Earth’s earliest hydrosphere>4.45
13 : Hadean serpentinization
Stage 5: Initiation of plate tectonics<3.5-2.5
38 : Ophiolites

Type Occurrence of WairauiteHide

Type Locality:
ⓘ Red Hills, Wairau Valley, Marlborough Region, New Zealand
General Appearance of Type Material:
very small grains distributed throughout serpentinite, typically < 2 microns diameter
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Geological Survey of New Zealand, Lower Hutt, New Zealand, P25574; Cambridge University, Cambridge, England; National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, 137192.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Serpentinite near a large ultramafic intrusion
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
AwaruiteChromiteNative Copper
Reference:
Challis, G. A., Long, J. V. P. (1964) Wairauite—a new cobalt-iron mineral. Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society, 33 (266) 942-948 doi:10.1180/minmag.1964.033.266.02

Synonyms of WairauiteHide

Other Language Names for WairauiteHide

Dutch:Wairauiet
German:Wairauit
Simplified Chinese:铁钴矿
Spanish:Wairauita
Traditional Chinese:鐵鈷礦

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

1.AE.Native VanadiumVIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Im3m
1.AE.05Native ChromiumCrIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Im3m
1.AE.05Hexamolybdenum(Mo,Ru,Fe,Ir,Os)Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P63/mmc
1.AE.05Native TungstenWIso.
1.AE.05Native MolybdenumMoIso.
1.AE.05UM2001-06-E:CrFeNiFe7Cr2Ni
1.AE.05Native IronFeIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Im3m
1.AE.10Taenite(Ni,Fe)Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
1.AE.10TetrataeniteFeNiTet. 4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) : P4/mmm
1.AE.10AntitaeniteFe3Ni
1.AE.15ChromferideFe3Cr1-x (x = 0.6)Iso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Pm3m
1.AE.15FerchromideCr3Fe1-xIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Pm3m
1.AE.20AwaruiteNi3FeIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Fm3m
1.AE.25JedwabiteFe7(Ta,Nb)3Hex. 6mm : P63mc
1.AE.30Native ManganeseMnIso. 4 3m : I4 3m
1.AE.35NisniteNi3SnIso. m3m (4/m 3 2/m) : Pm3m

Other InformationHide

Notes:
Highly magnetic
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Internet Links for WairauiteHide

References for WairauiteHide

Reference List:
Bayliss, P. (1990) Revised unit cell dimensions, space group, and chemical formula of some metallic minerals. Canadian Mineralogist: 28: 751-755.
Challis, G. A., Long, J. V. P. (1964) Wairauite—a new cobalt-iron mineral. Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society, 33 (266) 942-948 doi:10.1180/minmag.1964.033.266.02
Fleischer, Michael (1965) New Mineral Names. American Mineralogist, 50 (3-4) 519-522
Lorand, J.-P., Pinet, M. (1983) Sur la présence de fer natif et de wairauite (FeCo) dans les périodites serpentinisées du massif ultramafique de Ronda (Cordillère Bétique; Espagne du Sud) (On the occurrence of native iron and wairauite in serpentinized peridotites from the Ronda ultramafic body (Betic Cordillera, Southern Spain)). Comptes-rendus des séances de l'Académie des sciences, Série 2: 297(6): 501-504.
Jambor, John L., Burke, Ernst A. J. (1991) New Mineral Names. American Mineralogist, 76 (11-12) 2020-2026
Hua, Xin, Eisenhour, Don D., Buseck, Peter R. (1995) Cobalt-rich, nickel-poor metal (wairauite) in the Ningqiang carbonaceous chondrite. Meteoritics, 30 (1) 106-109 doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1995.tb01217.x
Ukegawa, C., Minakawa, T. (2004) Awaruite, wairauite and Ni-sulphides in serpentinite from Sikoku. Abstracts for the Meeting (2004) of the Mineralogical Society of Japan.
(2005) Wairauite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America
Hazen, Robert M., Hystad, Grethe, Golden, Joshua J., Hummer, Daniel R., Liu, Chao, Downs, Robert T., Morrison, Shaunna M., Ralph, Jolyon, Grew, Edward S. (2017) Cobalt mineral ecology. American Mineralogist, 102 (1) 108-116 doi:10.2138/am-2017-5798

Localities for WairauiteHide

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Locality ListHide

- This locality has map coordinates listed. - This locality has estimated coordinates. ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence. ? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. - Good crystals or important locality for species. - World class for species or very significant. (TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species. (FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties). Struck out - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Atlantic Ocean
 
  • Mid-Atlantic Ridge complex
    • Atlantis Massif
Beard et al. (2009)
Marchesi et al. (2013)
Canada
 
  • British Columbia
    • New Westminster Mining Division
- (n.d.)
  • Nunavut
    • Coppermine River area
Chamberlain et al. (1965) +1 other reference
China
 
  • Shaanxi
    • Hanzhong
      • Ningqiang County
Hua et al. (1995)
India
 
  • West Bengal
    • Purulia District
Papike +1 other reference
Italy
 
  • Piedmont
    • Metropolitan City of Turin
      • Balangero
Prete (1995)
Japan
 
  • Ehime Prefecture
Ukegawa & Minakawa (2004)
Kazakhstan
 
  • Pavlodar Region
    • Pavlodar District
Krot et al. (1997)
New Zealand (TL)
 
  • Marlborough Region
    • Wairau Valley
Challis et al. (1964)
Russia
 
  • Bashkortostan
    • Uchalinsky District
Zaccarini et al. (2004)
  • Kamchatka Krai
    • Koryak Okrug
      • Olyutorsky district
        • Korf
Sidorov et al. (2009) +3 other references
Cabri et al. (2022)
      • Penzhinsky district
Kutyrev et al. (2023)
    • Ust-Kamchatsky District
Kutyrev et al. (2023)
  • Krasnoyarsk Krai
    • Taymyrsky Dolgano-Nenetsky District
      • Kureika river
Ryabov et al. (2010, October)
  • Orenburg Oblast
    • Kvarkensky District
      • Aidyrlya River
Новгородова М.И. Самородные металлы в гидротермальных рудах et al. (in Rus.)
Serbia
 
  • Central Serbia
    • Moravica District
      • Čačak
        • Jelica
Papike +1 other reference
Spain
 
  • Andalusia
    • Málaga
Lorand et al. (1983) +1 other reference
Switzerland
 
  • Grisons
    • Bernina Region
      • Poschiavo
Ramdohr (1969)
Ramdohr (1969)
Ramdohr (1969)
UK
 
  • England
    • Lancashire
      • West Lancashire
        • Wrightington
Papike +1 other reference
USA
 
  • Oregon
    • Josephine County
      • Josephine Creek Mining District
 ... +1 other reference
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