Named in honor of David Alexander Crerar (23 July 1945 - 6 September 1994) professor of geochemistry at Princeton University, New Jersey, USA. He was an expert in environmental geochemistry, ore deposits, and water-rock interactions.

Type Locality:

ⓘ Lac Sheen prospect, Belleterre, Témiscamingue RCM, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Québec, Canada

This page provides mineralogical data about Crerarite.

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Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

6891

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:6891:4

IMA Classification of CrerariteHide

IMA status:

Approved

IMA Formula:

(Pt,Pb²⁺)Bi₃(S^2-,Se^2-)_4-x (x = 0.4-0-8)

Approval year:

1994

First published:

1994

Type description reference:

Cook, N.J., Wood, S.A., Gebert, W., Bernhardt, H.J., Medenbach, O. (1994) Crerarite, a new Pt-Bi-Pb-S mineral from the Cu-Bi-Ni-PGE deposit at Lac Sheen, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Québec, Canada. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte: 567-575.

Classification of CrerariteHide

Strunz-mindat (2026):

2.LB.45

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
L : Unclassified Sulfosalts
B : With essential Pb

Dana 8th ed.:

2.8.1.8

2 : SULFIDES
8 : A_mX_p, with m:p = 1:1

Mineral SymbolsHide

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
Cea	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 CrerariteHide

Lustre:

Metallic

Transparency:

Opaque

Colour:

Light grey

Hardness:

3 - 3½ on Mohs scale

Cleavage:

Poor/Indistinct

Density:

7.75 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Optical Data of CrerariteHide

Type:

Isotropic

Reflectivity:

Wavelength	R₁ (%)
400nm	53.7%
440nm	53.1%
480nm	51.6%
520nm	50.5%
560nm	49.7%
600nm	49.4%
640nm	48.9%
680nm	48.5%
700nm	48.5%

Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 53.7%.

Colour in reflected light:

Pale gray, with a slight bluish tint in oil

Chemistry of CrerariteHide

Mindat Formula:

Pt_2-x(Bi,Pb)₁₁(S,Se)₁₁

Elements listed:

Bi, Pb, Pt, S, Se - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Common Impurities:

Pd,Fe,Cu,Te

Crystallography of CrerariteHide

Crystal System:

Triclinic

Class (H-M):

1 - Pinacoidal

Space Group:

Cell Parameters:

a = 9.3521(7) Å, b = 9.3898(6) Å, c = 14.517(1) Å
α = 105.647(1)°, β = 96.780(1)°, γ = 108.390(1)°

Ratio:

a:b:c = 0.996 : 1 : 1.546

Unit Cell V:

1,135.72 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Crystal StructureHide

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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)
0018370	Crerarite	Cook N J, Wood S A, Gebert W, Bernhardt H J, Medenbach O (1994) Crerarite, a new Pt-Bi-Pb-S mineral from the Cu-Ni-PGE deposit at Lac Sheen, Abitibi-Temiscaminque, Quebec, Canada Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie, Monatshefte 1994 567-575		1994	Lac Sheen, Abitibi-Temiscaminque, Quebec, Canada	0	293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

data_global
_chemical_name_mineral 'Crerarite'
loop_
_publ_author_name
'Cook N J'
'Wood S A'
'Gebert W'
'Bernhardt H J'
'Medenbach O'
_journal_name_full 'Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie, Monatshefte'
_journal_volume 1994 
_journal_year 1994
_journal_page_first 567
_journal_page_last 575
_publ_section_title
;
 Crerarite, a new Pt-Bi-Pb-S mineral from the Cu-Ni-PGE deposit at Lac Sheen,
 Abitibi-Temiscaminque, Quebec, Canada
;
_database_code_amcsd 0018370
_chemical_compound_source 'Lac Sheen, Abitibi-Temiscaminque, Quebec, Canada'
_chemical_formula_sum '(Bi.75 Pt.125 Pb.125) S.796 Se.026'
_cell_length_a 5.86
_cell_length_b 5.865
_cell_length_c 5.86
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 90
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_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
_atom_site_occupancy
_atom_site_U_iso_or_equiv
Bi   0.00000   0.00000   0.00000   0.75000   0.05802
Pt   0.00000   0.00000   0.00000   0.12500   0.05802
Pb   0.00000   0.00000   0.00000   0.12500   0.05802
S   0.50000   0.50000   0.50000   0.79600   0.02303
Se   0.50000   0.50000   0.50000   0.02600   0.02303

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
2.94 Å	(100)
3.37 Å	(50)
1.472 Å	(50)
2.07 Å	(30)
1.766 Å	(15)
1.687 Å	(15)
1.347 Å	(10)

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
High-? alteration and/or metamorphism
33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12])
Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks	>3.0
37 : Layered igneous intrusions and related PGE minerals

Type Occurrence of CrerariteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Lac Sheen prospect, Belleterre, Témiscamingue RCM, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Québec, Canada

General Appearance of Type Material:

Anhedral grains to 120 µm.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

Mineralogical Museum, Bayerische Julius-Maximilians University, Wurzburg, Germany, M2897 a/b.
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada, M46005–46007.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Actinolite	Chalcopyrite	Chlorite Group	Galena	Michenerite
Pentlandite	Pyrrhotite	Quartz	Sphalerite

Reference:

Synonyms of CrerariteHide

IMA1994-003

Other Language Names for CrerariteHide

Dutch:Crerariet

German:Crerarit

Spanish:Crerarita

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

2.LB.	Ciriottiite	Cu(Cu,Ag)₃Pb₁₉(Sb,As)₂₂(As₂)S₅₆	Mon. 2/m
2.LB.	Hayyanite	Cu₅Ag₁₁Pb₇₆Sb₇₁As₁₇(As²⁺)₈S₂₂₄	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
2.LB.	Wenqingite	Pb₅(AsS₃)₂(Ge₂S₆)	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
2.LB.05	Miharaite	Cu₄FePbBiS₆	Orth.
2.LB.30	Launayite	Cu₂Pb₂₀(Sb,As)₂₆S₆₀	Mon. 2/m : P2/b
2.LB.30	Ardaite	Pb₁₉Sb₁₃S₃₅Cl₇	Mon.
2.LB.30	Sorbyite	CuPb₉(Sb,As)₁₁S₂₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/m
2.LB.30	Playfairite	Pb₁₆(Sb,As)₁₉S₄₄Cl	Mon.
2.LB.30	Sterryite	Cu(Ag,Cu)₃Pb₁₉(Sb,As)₂₂(As₂)S₅₆	Mon. 2/m
2.LB.30	Madocite	Pb₁₉(Sb,As)₁₆S₄₃	Orth.
2.LB.35	Larosite	(Cu,Ag)₂₁PbBiS₁₃	Orth.
2.LB.40	Mazzettiite	Ag₃HgPbSbTe₅	Orth.
2.LB.40	Petrovicite	Cu₃HgPbBiSe₅	Orth.
2.LB.50	Quijarroite	Cu₆HgPb₂Bi₄Se₁₂	Orth. mm2 : Pmn2₁
2.LB.55	Znamenskyite	Pb₄In₂Bi₄S₁₃	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pbam

Other InformationHide

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 CrerariteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-6891.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

Mineral Dealers:

Buy from D. Joyce minerals

References for CrerariteHide

Reference List:

Jambor, John L., Pertsev, Nikolai N., Roberts, Andrew C. (1995) New Mineral Names. American Mineralogist, 80 (7-8). 845-850

(2005) Crerarite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

33rd International Geological Congress (2008) session MPM-04 Platinum-group mineralogy: Crerarite a Pt-Bi-S mineral: A new occurrence and re-investigation of its chemical formula and crystal structure

Localities for CrerariteHide

Showing 5 localities.

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.

Hide all sections | Show all sections

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.


Canada
Ontario Greater Sudbury Levack Township ⓘ Coleman Mine	Vale SA
ⓘ North Mine	33rd International Geological Congress (2008)
Wisner Township ⓘ Broken Hammer Deposit	Ames et al. (2007) +1 other reference
Québec Abitibi-Témiscamingue Témiscamingue RCM Belleterre ⓘ Lac Sheen prospect (TL)	COOK et al. (1994)

South Africa
Limpopo Waterberg District Municipality Mogalakwena Local Municipality Mokopane Mogalakwena Mine ⓘ Overysel deposit	Holwell et al. (2007)

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Crerarite

Unique IdentifiersHide

IMA Classification of CrerariteHide

Classification of CrerariteHide

Mineral SymbolsHide

Physical Properties of CrerariteHide

Optical Data of CrerariteHide

Chemistry of CrerariteHide

Crystallography of CrerariteHide

Crystal StructureHide

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Geological EnvironmentHide

Type Occurrence of CrerariteHide

Synonyms of CrerariteHide

Other Language Names for CrerariteHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

Other InformationHide

Internet Links for CrerariteHide

References for CrerariteHide

Localities for CrerariteHide

Locality ListHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide