| Merenskyite | |
| Category: | Telluride mineral |
| Imasymbol: | Mrk[1] |
| Strunz: | 2.EA.20 |
| System: | Trigonal |
| Class: | Hexagonal scalenohedral (m) H-M symbol: (m) |
| Symmetry: | Pm1 |
| Unit Cell: | a = 3.978(1) Å, c = 5.125(2) Å; Z = 1 |
| Color: | White, grayish white |
| Habit: | Microscopic inclusions, intergrowths with other Pd–Pt minerals |
| Mohs: | 3.5 |
| Diaphaneity: | Opaque |
| Gravity: | 8.547 |
| Pleochroism: | Weak, white to grayish white in air under reflected light |
| References: | [2] |
Merenskyite is a rare telluride / bismuthinide mineral with the chemical formula .[3] [4] It is an opaque white to light gray metallic mineral that occurs as inclusions within other minerals such as chalcopyrite. It crystallizes in the trigonal crystal system.[3]
Merenskyite was first described in 1966 for an occurrence in the Merensky Reef of the Western Bushveld Igneous Complex, South Africa, and named for South African geologist Hans Merensky (1871–1952).[5]