Merenskyite

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title: "Merenskyite" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["telluride-minerals", "bismuthide-minerals", "palladium-minerals", "platinum-minerals", "trigonal-minerals", "minerals-in-space-group-164", "minerals-described-in-1966"] description: "Rare telluride / bismuthinide mineral" topic_path: "general/telluride-minerals" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merenskyite" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Rare telluride / bismuthinide mineral ::

::data[format=table title="infobox mineral"]

Field	Value
name	Merenskyite
category	Telluride mineral
formula
IMAsymbol	Mrk
strunz	2.EA.20
system	Trigonal
class	Hexagonal scalenohedral (m)
H-M symbol: (m)
symmetry	Pm1
unit cell	a = 3.978(1) Å,
c = 5.125(2) Å; Z = 1
color	White, grayish white
habit	Microscopic inclusions, intergrowths with other Pd–Pt minerals
mohs	3.5
diaphaneity	Opaque
gravity	8.547
pleochroism	Weak, white to grayish white in air under reflected light
references
::

| name = Merenskyite | image = | imagesize = | alt = | caption = | category = Telluride mineral | formula = | IMAsymbol = Mrk | molweight = | strunz = 2.EA.20 | dana = | system = Trigonal | class = Hexagonal scalenohedral (m) H-M symbol: (m) | symmetry = Pm1 | unit cell = a = 3.978(1) Å, c = 5.125(2) Å; Z = 1 | color = White, grayish white | colour = | habit = Microscopic inclusions, intergrowths with other Pd–Pt minerals | twinning = | cleavage = | fracture = | tenacity = | mohs = 3.5 | luster = | streak = | diaphaneity = Opaque | gravity = 8.547 | density = | polish = | opticalprop = | refractive = | birefringence = | pleochroism = Weak, white to grayish white in air under reflected light | 2V = | dispersion = | extinction = | length fast/slow = | fluorescence = | absorption = | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | impurities = | alteration = | other = | references = Merenskyite is a rare telluride / bismuthinide mineral with the chemical formula . It is an opaque white to light gray metallic mineral that occurs as inclusions within other minerals such as chalcopyrite. It crystallizes in the trigonal crystal system.

Merenskyite was first described in 1966 for an occurrence in the Merensky Reef of the Western Bushveld Igneous Complex, South Africa, and named for South African geologist Hans Merensky (1871–1952).

References

References

1. Warr, L.N.. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine.
2. [https://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/MineralData?mineral=Merenskyite Mineralienatlas]
3. [http://webmineral.com/data/Merenskyite.shtml Webmineral data]
4. [http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/merenskyite.pdf Handbook of Mineralogy]
5. [http://www.mindat.org/min-2650.html Mindat.org]

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