| Polarite | |
| Category: | Alloys with PGE |
| Imasymbol: | Plr[1] |
| Strunz: | 02.AC.40 |
| System: | Orthorhombic |
| Class: | Pyramidal (mm2) (same H-M symbol) |
| Symmetry: | Ccm21 |
| Unit Cell: | a = 7.19 Å, b = 8.69 Å, c = 10.68 Å; Z = 16 |
| Color: | White with yellowish tint |
| Habit: | Disseminated grains (microscopic) |
| Mohs: | 3.5 - 4 |
| Luster: | Metallic |
| Streak: | White |
| Diaphaneity: | Opaque |
| Gravity: | 12.51 |
| References: | [2] [3] |
Polarite, is an opaque, yellow-white mineral with the chemical formula . Its crystals are orthorhombic pyramidal, but can only be seen through a microscope. It has a metallic luster and leaves a white streak. Polarite is rated 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs Scale.[4] [5]
It was first described in 1969 for an occurrence in Talnakh, Norilsk in the Polar Ural Mountains in Russia.[4] It has also been recorded from the Bushveld igneous complex of South Africa and from Fox Gulch, Goodnews Bay, Alaska.[5]