Outstanding (and big for the species) shiny silvery nugget of the extremely rare platinum mineral tulameenite from the type locality in Tulameent river (Princeton, British Columbia, Canada). Analyzed specimen by SEM/EDS by Alfredo Petrov. — Photo: David Hospital · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tulameenite
Tulameenite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the native element class, with the chemical formula Pt₂CuFe.
It crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system (space group P4/mmm). It is a member of the Potarite structural group.
Key properties: specific gravity 14.9; Metallic. Anisotropism: Very weak. R1 –R2: (470) 61.0–65.3, (546) 60.0–66.5, (589) 61.5–65.5, (650) 61.1–64.9 luster.
IMA symbol Tul, IMA status: approved, named in 1972.
Found in placers (Canada); in Uralian ultramafics (Nizhni Tagil, Russia); in Cu–Ni–PGM deposits in dunite-troctolite-gabbro (Ioko-Dovyren massif, Russia).
It is found associated with Pt–Fe alloys, geversite, chalcopyrite, chromite, magnetite.
The name refers to the Tulameen River, Canada, from the vicinity of which the mineral was first noted.