Molybdenite

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Molybdenite crystals - click for larger pic
Molybdenite crystals
Photo by Violet Anderson
© Royal Ontario Museum

Molybdenite crystals - click for larger pic
Molybdenite crystals
© Doug Merson

Molybdenite crystals - click for larger pic
Spherical aggregate of
1mm in sodalite
© Dr. Jaszczak

MoS

Interesting habits of molybdenite have been found at MSH; spherical aggregates as represented here and hollow tubes that were described in the first edition of the Mineralogical Record by R. Bideaux.

Both molybdenite polytypes (-2 -3) are common at Mont Saint- Hilaire.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Color is usually lead gray.
Luster is metallic.
Diaphaneity is opaque.
Crystal System is hexagonal; mmc (-2H) and (-3R).
Crystal Habits include sharp hexagonal, thin-foil plates forming
attractive rosettes or spherical aggregates, embedded masses
and hollow, cylindrical tubes to 5mm and 0.2mm in diameter.
Cleavage {001} is perfect.
Fracture is not apparent.
Hardness is 1 – 1.5
Specific Gravity is approximately 4.7 g/cm
Streak is greenish.
Associated Minerals include aegirine, albite, amphibole group,
andradite, apophyllite series, calcite, natrolite, pectolite, pyrite,
titanite, vesuvianite and zircon.
Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit and color.
Origin: Named in 1807 from the Greek molybdos, lead, as a result
of early confusion between lead, graphite, and molybdenum disulfide,
as the composition of the mineral.

CLASSIFICATION:

Dana System
# 2.12.10.1

Strunz Classification
# II/D.25-10

REFERENCES:
MinRec 1:105-112 (1970),MinRec 21:323 (1990), Dana 8:132-134 (1997)

DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:

MSH
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Molybdenite crystals - click for larger pic
Molybdenite crystals
© Doug Merson

Molybdenite crystals - click for larger pic
Molybdenite crystals
© Steven Stuart

Molybdenite crystals - click for larger pic
Molybdenite crystals
© Stephan Wolfsried