Ferberite
Ferberite is the iron endmember of the manganese - iron wolframite solid solution series. The manganese endmember is hübnerite. Ferberite is a black monoclinic mineral composed of iron(II) tungstate, FeWO4.
Ferberite | |
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Ferberite with muscovite from Minas da Panasqueira, Beira Baixa, Portugal | |
General | |
Category | Tungstate mineral |
Formula (repeating unit) | FeWO4 |
Strunz classification | 4.DB.30 |
Crystal system | Monoclinic |
Crystal class | Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol) |
Space group | P2/c |
Unit cell | a = 4.72, b = 5.7 c = 4.96 [Å]; β = 90°; Z = 2 |
Identification | |
Color | Black, dark brown in transmitted light |
Crystal habit | Bladed crystals; massive |
Twinning | Contact or interpenetrant or lamellar twins |
Cleavage | Perfect on {010}; partings on {100} and {102} |
Fracture | Uneven |
Tenacity | Brittle |
Mohs scale hardness | 4–4.5 |
Luster | Submetallic to metallic adamantine |
Streak | Brownish black |
Diaphaneity | Nearly to entirely opaque |
Specific gravity | 7.58 |
Optical properties | Biaxial (+) |
Refractive index | nα = 2.255 nβ = 2.305 nγ = 2.414 |
Birefringence | δ = 0.159 |
2V angle | Measured: 66° |
Other characteristics | Slightly magnetic |
References | [1][2][3] |
Ferberite and hübnerite often contain both divalent cations of iron and manganese, with wolframite as the intermediate species for which the solid solution series is named.[4]
Ferberite occurs as granular masses and as slender prismatic crystals. It has a Mohs hardness of 4.5 and a specific gravity of 7.4 to 7.5. Ferberite typically occurs in pegmatites, granitic greisens, and high temperature hydrothermal deposits.[1] It is a minor ore of tungsten.
Ferberite was discovered in 1863 in Sierra Almagrera, Spain, and named after the German mineralogist Moritz Rudolph Ferber (1805–1875).[2]
- Twinned Ferberite, Tazna Mine, Atocha-Quechisla District, Nor Chichas Province, Potosí Department, Bolivia. 4.8 x 4.0 x 3.6 cm.
- Ferberite - Cínovec / Zinnwald, Erzgebirge; Krusné Hory Mts, Saxony & Ústí Region (Bohemia), Germany & Czech Republic
References
External links
Look up ferberite in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ferberite. |