Villamanínite Locality: Providencia Mine (La Divina Providencia Mine), Villanueva de Pontedo, Cármenes (Villamanín), León, Castile and Leon, Spain Size: 1.7 cm x 1.5 cm x 1.2 cm An extremely rare sample of the copper nickel cobalt iron sulfide, villamaninite from the Type Locality in Spain. This species was first discovered in the Providencia Mine in the municipality of Carmenes (formerly Villamanin) hence the name. It's actually a member of the Pyrite Group, and is only found in about 10 places in the world. This piece hosts classic iron-black to greenish black villamaninite with minor matrix. From the collection of Paolo Matioli with an accompanying label from Excalibur Minerals. — Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0
Villamanínite
A copper sulfide with minor nickel and cobalt, discovered in 1920 at León's Providencia mine.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Villamanínite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the sulfide class, with the chemical formula CuS₂.
It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system (space group P2_1). It is a member of the Pyrite structural group.
Key properties: Mohs hardness 4.5; specific gravity 4.4–4.5; Sooty black streak; Dull metallic. R: (400) 30.1, (420) 29.7, (440) 29.2, (460) 28.7, (480) 28.1, (500) 27.4, (520) 26.8, (540) 26.3 luster.
IMA symbol Vil, IMA status: approved, named in 1920.
Occurs as subhedral disseminated grains in black bituminous dolostone; in white coarse-grained recrystallized dolostone; as nodular aggregates in vuggy dolomite veinlets (Providencia mine, Spain).
It is found associated with Pyrite, chalcopyrite, dolomite, quartz (Providencia mine, Spain).
The name refers to the town of Villamanı́n, Spain.