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Silicate

Népouite

Ni₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄
Hardness2.5
ClassSilicate
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Népouite specimen

Népouite Locality: Népoui Mine, Poya , en: North Province, New Caledonia , New Caledonia - Deposit topotype Size: 14.4 x 11.8 x 7 cm 1064.7g — Photo: Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 3.0

Népouite

An apple-green nickel serpentine mineral named in 1907 for the Népoui mine in New Caledonia.

Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

Népouite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the silicate class, with the chemical formula Ni₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄.

It is a member of the Serpentine, Clay structural group.

Key properties: Mohs hardness 2.5; specific gravity 3.24; optically biaxial.

IMA symbol Npo, grandfathered status — known before the IMA’s founding, named in 1907.

An alteration product of nickel-rich ultramafic rocks.

It is found associated with Serpentine, chlorite, hydrous nickel silicates, iron oxides.

The name commemorates the locality, N¶epoui, New Caledonia.

Index entry. This entry combines official IMA/RRUFF species data with published physical-property data and a Wikipedia introduction — a full written entry hasn’t been published yet. Browse more N minerals or help write this entry.