Valleriite4(Fe, Cu)S • 3(Mg, Al)(OH)2
c 2001-2005 Mineral Data Publishing, version 1

Crystal Data: Hexagonal Point Group: 3 2/m or 3m.
in tiny splinters, very thin flakes, and thin crusts.

Massive, as nodules, to 5 mm; also

Physical Properties: Cleavage: On {0001}, excellent. Hardness = < 1, less than graphite.
VHN = n.d. D(meas.) = 3.14 D(calc.) = 3.21
Optical Properties: Opaque. Color: Bronze-yellow, resembling pyrrhotite. Luster: Metallicto submetallic. Pleochroism: Strong; pale yellow to deep brown. Anisotropism: Strong; golden
yellow.
R1 –R2 : (400) 10.5–11.1, (420) 10.8–11.3, (440) 10.7–12.7, (460) 10.6–14.2, (480) 10.5–15.8, (500)
10.5–17.3, (520) 10.3–18.8, (540) 10.3–20.1, (560) 10.3–21.3, (580) 10.2–22.4, (600) 10.3–23.4, (620)
10.3–24.4, (640) 10.3–25.1, (660) 10.4–25.8, (680) 10.3–26.4, (700) 10.3–26.9
Cell Data:

Space Group: R3m or R3m.

a = 64.46

c = 34.10

Z = [390]

X-ray Powder Pattern: Loolekop, South Africa.
11.39 (100), 5.71 (100), 3.27 (60), 3.80 (50), 3.23 (50), 2.846 (50), 1.885 (50)
Chemistry:CuFeS
Al2 O3
MgO

(1)
17.7
26.3
22.5
5.1
10.6

(2)
17.6
21.2
21.4
8.1
16.2

(3)
19.8
20.0
21.6
8.5
16.0

CaO
K2 O
Na2 O
H2 O
SiO2 + insol.
Total

(1)
0.3
0.3
0.6
10.8
94.2

(2)
1.7

(3)
1.3

12.2
1.8

10.8
3.3

100.2

101.3

(1) Kopparberg, Sweden; from five partial analyses. (2) Kaveltorp, Sweden. (3) Loolekop, South
Africa.
Occurrence: An alteration product of chalcopyrite in chromitites and dunites (Cyprus);in copper-bearing carbonatites, replacing magnetite (Phalaborwa, South Africa); in Cu–Ni
sulfide-bearing serpentinized and uralized ultramafic rocks.
Association: Chalcopyrite, cubanite, pyrrhotite, troilite, millerite, pentlandite, pyrite,marcasite, mackinawite, tochilinite, magnetite.
Distribution: An inconspicuous mineral, now recognized from a number of localities in addition
to those listed here. In Sweden, in Kopparberg, from the Aurora mine, Ljusnarsberg [TL], andat Kaveltorp. In South Africa, in Transvaal, from the Loolekop carbonatite, Phalaborwa, andat the Mooihoek and Onverwacht pipes, in the Merensky Reef, Bushveld complex. From nearPefkos, Cyprus. In Canada, at the Little Chief mine, near Whitehorse, Yukon Territory; in theMarbridge mine, Malartic, Quebec; and at Sudbury, Ontario. In the USA, from the Elizabeth
mine, South Strafford, Strafford Co., Vermont; in the Pima mine, near Tucson, Pima Co., andat the Christmas mine, Gila Co., Arizona; from the Continental mine, Fierro, Grant Co., NewMexico. In Russia, in the Talnakh area, Noril’sk region, western Siberia; from the Kovdor andMonchegorsk massifs, Kola Peninsula. At Alnalyk, Uzbekistan. In the Akagane mine, Iwate
Prefecture, Japan. From Wannaway, Western Australia. On the East Pacific Rise (21◦ N).
Name: In honor of Johan Gottschalk Wallerius (Vallerius) (1709–1785), Swedish chemist andmineralogist.
Type Material:Wroclaw University, Wroclaw, Poland, II–14152.

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References: (1) Evans, H.T., Jr., C. Milton, E.C.T. Chao, I. Adler, C. Mead, B. Ingram, andR.A. Berner (1964) Valleriite and the new iron sulfide, mackinawite. U.S. Geol. Sur. Prof. Paper
475-D, D64–D69. (2) Evans, H.T., Jr. and R. Allmann (1968) The crystal structure and crystal
chemistry of valleriite. Zeits. Krist., 127, 73–93. (3) Harris, D.C. and D.J. Vaughan (1972) Two
fibrous iron sulfides and valleriite from Cyprus with new data on valleriite. Amer. Mineral.,
57, 1037–1052. (4) Ramdohr, P. (1969) The ore minerals and their intergrowths, (3rd edition),683–692. (5) Criddle, A.J. and C.J. Stanley, Eds. (1993) Quantitative data file for ore minerals,
3rd ed. Chapman & Hall, London, 603.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted inany form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written
permission of Mineral Data Publishing.