Pentlandite (David Burgess Coll.)

Item Description

Pentlandite, Fe-Ni sulfosalt, is one of the most important nickel ores. It is a primary ore at the famous Sudbury District mines (owned then by Inco Limited, today by Vale, a Brazilian mining company) which also recovers copper and cobalt. The District is a giant polymetallic deposit hosted within one of the Earth's largest impact craters (diameter 250 km) (MINDAT). Two faces on this hefty ore specimen are sawed. The polished face accentuates the rich bronze-yellow color saturation of the microcrystalline ore and the included xenoliths of dark and light minerals are fine accessories. Pentlandite specimens of this richness and quality are RARE and are seldom on the market. Collected in the 1950s, according to the accompanying label from note rarites dealer, Josef Vajdak. 388 grams mass. Ex David Burgess Collection.