MOLYBDENITE



Molybdenite, a molybdenum sulfide mineral, was first reported by Fowler (1825) and Palache (1935). Frondel (1972) noted its occurrence at both Franklin and Sterling Hill. It is a moderately rare mineral locally and of no economic significance.
Molybdenite is bright bluish-silver with a metallic luster and is easily bent and distorted. It occurs with scapolite (possibly meionite), calcite, and pyroxene in the most abundant assemblage from Franklin, labeled in some collections as coming from the Buckwheat Dump. It occurs as bright, bluish-gray, platy crystals up to 2-3 cm in diameter.
A number of unstudied assemblages are known from Franklin, and Palache reported it from the Gooseberry Mine on Balls Hill. Molybdenite alters to powellite locally. Local material was determined to be the 2H polytype.
It is associated with calcite, realgar, and zinkenite and, separately, with seligmannite, baumhauerite and other species; both assemblages were found on the 900 level at Sterling Hill. (Dunn, 1995)


 Location Found: Franklin and Ogdensburg
     
 
     
 Formula: MoS2
 Essential Elements: Molybdenum, Sulfur
 All Elements in Formula: Molybdenum, Sulfur
     
 IMA Status: Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
     
     
 To find out more about this mineral at minDat's website, follow this link   Molybdenite

     
 References:
Dunn, Pete J. (1995). Franklin and Sterling Hill New Jersey: the world's most magnificent mineral deposits. Franklin, NJ.: The Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society. p.535. 'Molybdenite-2H'

Frondel, Clifford (1972). The minerals of Franklin and Sterling Hill, a checklist. NY.: John Willey & Sons. p.69


     
Images

     
Molybdenite, meionite, and pyroxene from Franklin, NJ
Molybdenite (bluish-silver), meionite (gemmy off white), and pyroxene (black) from Franklin, NJ. Field of view 2". From the collection of, and photo by WP.







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