Westerveldite
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Westerveldite
Formula:
(Fe,Ni,Co)As
Colour:
brownish grey, dark gray
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
5½ - 6
Specific Gravity:
8.13 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
Named after Jan Westerveld (25 January 1905, Lemarang, Reok Barat, Manggarai, Indonesia, - 29 August 1962) mineralogist and economic geologist, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This page provides mineralogical data about Westerveldite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
4273
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:4273:0
IMA Classification of Westerveldite
Approved
IMA Formula:
FeAs
Approval year:
1971
First published:
1972
Classification of Westerveldite
2.CC.15
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
C : With Ni, Fe, Co, PGE, etc.
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
C : With Ni, Fe, Co, PGE, etc.
3.11.32
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
11 : Sulphides etc. of Ni
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
11 : Sulphides etc. of Ni
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Wvd | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Westerveldite
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Brownish grey, dark gray
Hardness:
5½ - 6 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=916 - 973 kg/mm2 (15 s test time) - Vickers
Density:
8.13 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Westerveldite
Anisotropism:
distinct in air strong in oil
Bireflectance:
weak in air and oil
Reflectivity:
| Wavelength | R1 (%) | R2 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 400nm | 46.9% | 48.6% |
| 440nm | 45.7% | 48.4% |
| 480nm | 44.3% | 48.0% |
| 520nm | 43.4% | 47.9% |
| 560nm | 43.4% | 48.0% |
| 600nm | 43.7% | 48.1% |
| 640nm | 44.4% | 48.6% |
| 680nm | 45.6% | 49.1% |
| 700nm | 46.2% | 49.4% |
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 49.4%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Colour in reflected light:
whitish grey with faint brownish and bluish tinges
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
brownish and brownish grey colours
Chemistry of Westerveldite
Mindat Formula:
(Fe,Ni,Co)As
Elements listed:
Common Impurities:
Sb,Co
Crystallography of Westerveldite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm(2/m2/m2/m) - Dipyramidal
Cell Parameters:
a = 5.43(1) Å, b = 6.02(1) Å, c = 3.37(1) Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.902 : 1 : 0.56
Unit Cell V:
110.16 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
As irregularly shaped blebs and stringers.
Comment:
Space group Pmcn (non-standard setting).
Crystal Structure
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0009797 | Westerveldite | Lyman P S, Prewitt C T (1984) Room- and high-pressure crystal chemistry of CoAs and FeAs Acta Crystallographica B40 14-20 |  | 1984 | synthetic | 0.0001 | 293 |
| 0009796 | Westerveldite | Lyman P S, Prewitt C T (1984) Room- and high-pressure crystal chemistry of CoAs and FeAs Acta Crystallographica B40 14-20 | | 1984 | synthetic | 0.0001 | 293 |
| 0009798 | Westerveldite | Lyman P S, Prewitt C T (1984) Room- and high-pressure crystal chemistry of CoAs and FeAs Acta Crystallographica B40 14-20 | | 1984 | synthetic | 2.25 | 293 |
| 0009799 | Westerveldite | Lyman P S, Prewitt C T (1984) Room- and high-pressure crystal chemistry of CoAs and FeAs Acta Crystallographica B40 14-20 | | 1984 | synthetic | 4.36 | 293 |
| 0009800 | Westerveldite | Lyman P S, Prewitt C T (1984) Room- and high-pressure crystal chemistry of CoAs and FeAs Acta Crystallographica B40 14-20 | | 1984 | synthetic | 6.1 | 293 |
| 0009801 | Westerveldite | Lyman P S, Prewitt C T (1984) Room- and high-pressure crystal chemistry of CoAs and FeAs Acta Crystallographica B40 14-20 | | 1984 | synthetic | 8.3 | 293 |
| 0018135 | Westerveldite | Fylking K (1934) Phosphides and arsenides with modified nickel-arsenide structure _cod_database_code 1011285 Arkiv for Kemi, Mineralogi och Geologi B11 1-6 | 1934 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2.588 Å | (100) |
| 1.996 Å | (60) |
| 2.635 Å | (55) |
| 2.076 Å | (35) |
| 2.019 Å | (35) |
| 1.725 Å | (30) |
| 2.116 Å | (18) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 3a: Earth’s earliest Hadean crust | >4.50 |
| 7 : Ultramafic igneous rocks | |
| Stage 3b: Earth’s earliest hydrosphere | >4.45 |
| 12 : Hadean hydrothermal subsurface sulfide deposits (see also #33) | |
| High-? alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12]) |
Type Occurrence of Westerveldite
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Geological Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam; Institute of Earth Sciences, Free University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
chromite - niccolite ores
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Westerveldite
Other Language Names for Westerveldite
Varieties of Westerveldite
| Antimony-bearing Westerveldite | An antimony-bearing variety. |
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 34 photos of Westerveldite associated with Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
| 32 photos of Westerveldite associated with Galena | PbS |
| 18 photos of Westerveldite associated with Molybdenite | MoS2 |
| 16 photos of Westerveldite associated with Sphalerite | ZnS |
| 4 photos of Westerveldite associated with Native Silver | Ag |
| 3 photos of Westerveldite associated with Eudialyte | Na15Ca6Fe3Zr3Si(Si25O73)(O,OH,H2O)3(Cl,OH)2 |
| 3 photos of Westerveldite associated with Aegirine | NaFe3+Si2O6 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 2.CC. | Eliopoulosite | V7S8 |
| 2.CC. | Tilkerodeite | Pd2HgSe3 |
| 2.CC. | 'UM2007-26-S:CuFeIrNiPtRh' | (Ir,Cu,Ni,Pt,Rh,Fe)9S11 |
| 2.CC. | Proxitwelvefoldite | Pd3Ni4Te8 |
| 2.CC. | Ferrotorryweiserite | Rh5Fe10S16 |
| 2.CC. | Tamuraite | Ir5Fe10S16 |
| 2.CC. | Crowningshieldite | (Ni0.9Fe0.1)S |
| 2.CC. | Kuvaevite | Ir5Ni10S16 |
| 2.CC. | Torryweiserite | Rh5Ni10S16 |
| 2.CC.05 | Achávalite | FeSe |
| 2.CC.05 | Langisite | CoAs |
| 2.CC.05 | Sederholmite | NiSe |
| 2.CC.05 | Freboldite | CoSe |
| 2.CC.05 | Nickeline | NiAs |
| 2.CC.05 | Sobolevskite | PdBi |
| 2.CC.05 | Jaipurite | CoS |
| 2.CC.05 | Kotulskite | Pd(Te,Bi)2-x (x ≈ 0.4) |
| 2.CC.05 | Zlatogorite | NiCuSb2 |
| 2.CC.05 | Stumpflite | PtSb |
| 2.CC.05 | Sudburyite | PdSb |
| 2.CC.05 | Breithauptite | NiSb |
| 2.CC.10 | Pyrrhotite | Fe1-xS |
| 2.CC.10 | Smythite | (Fe,Ni)3+xS4 (x=0-0.3) |
| 2.CC.10 | Troilite | FeS |
| 2.CC.15 | Ruthenarsenite | (Ru,Ni)As |
| 2.CC.15 | Modderite | CoAs |
| 2.CC.15 | Minakawaite | RhSb |
| 2.CC.15 | Cherepanovite | RhAs |
| 2.CC.20 | 'UM1990-38-S:CuFeIrNiPtRh' | (Ni,Fe,Rh,Cu,Ir,Pt)S |
| 2.CC.20 | Millerite | NiS |
| 2.CC.20 | Mäkinenite | NiSe |
| 2.CC.25 | Mackinawite | FeS |
| 2.CC.30 | Vavřínite | Ni2SbTe2 |
| 2.CC.30 | 'Hexatestibiopanickelite' | (Pd,Ni)(Sb,Te) ? |
| 2.CC.35b | Cooperite | PtS |
| 2.CC.35a | Vysotskite | PdS |
| 2.CC.35a | Braggite | PdPt3S4 |
| 2.CC.45 | Jacutingaite | Pt2HgSe3 |
| 2.CC.50 | 'Imgreite' | NiTe (?) |
Other Information
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 Westerveldite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-4273.html
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References for Westerveldite
Reference List:
Oen, I. S., Burke, E. A. J., Kieft, C., Westerhof, A. B. (1972) Westerveldite, (Fe,Ni,Co)As, a new mineral from La Gallega, Spain. American Mineralogist, 57 (3-4). 354-363
Oen, I. S., Burke, E. A. J., Kieft, C. (1977) Westerveldite from Igdlúnguaq, Ilímaussaq alkaline massif, South Greenland. Mineralogical Magazine, 41 (317) 77-83 doi:10.1180/minmag.1977.041.317.12
Mozgova, N.N., Borodayev, Yu. S., Ozerova, N.A., Paakkonen, V., Sveshnikova, O.L., Balitskiy, V.S., Dorogovin, B.A. (1977) Seinäjokite, (Fe0.8Ni0.2) (Sb1.7As0.3), and antimonian westerveldite, Fe(As0.95Sb0.05) from Seinäjoki, Finland. International Geology Review, 19 (11) 1357-1368 doi:10.1080/00206817709471143
Lyman, P. S., Prewitt, C. T. (1984) Room- and high-pressure crystal chemistry of CoAs and FeAs. Acta Crystallographica Section B Structural Science, 40 (1) 14-20 doi:10.1107/s0108768184001695
Localities for Westerveldite
Showing 22 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- 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).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Austria | |
| Krause et al. (2025) |
Canada | |
| Vale SA |
Cyprus | |
| Thalhammer et al. (1986) |
Finland | |
| American Mineralogist (1977) |
| Borodaev et al. (1983) | |
| [var: Antimony-bearing Westerveldite] Mozgova et al. (1977) | |
Greenland | |
| Sørensen (2001) +1 other reference |
| Oen et al. (1977) | |
Italy | |
| Sabatini (1899) +9 other references |
Morocco | |
| Pina et al. (2013) |
Russia | |
| Olga Yakovleva et al. (2009) |
| |
| Sklyarov et al. (2021) | |
Spain | |
| Gervilla et al. (1990) |
| Gervilla et al. (1990) |
| Oen et al. (1972) |
| Gervilla et al. (2002) | |
| Martin-Izard et al. (1995) |
Sweden | |
| Dobbe et al. (1994) |
USA | |
| Utsunomiya et al. (2003) |
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Ilímaussaq complex, Kujalleq, Greenland