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Smythite

Year of discovery: 1957 (State Route 37 road cut, USA), 1974 (Japan)

Locality list: 3 localities of smythite

• (Fe,Ni)₃S₄
• (Fe,Ni)_3+xS₄
• [(Fe²⁺,Ni²⁺)₃][S₄]
• x=0-0.3

• Class: Sulfide
• Magnetism: Ferromagnetic
• Hydrate to Limonite under humid condition.
• Possibly a polytype of pyrrhotite

• (Fe,Ni) => Fe: Pyrrhotite, Troilite

• Color: Brownish black, Yellowish brown
• Streak: Dark gray
• Luster: Metallic
• Diaphaneity: Opaque

• Habit: Thin hexagonal plate

• Cleavage: Perfect {0001} (1 plane)
• Hardness: 4.5
• Density: 4.1

• System: Trigonal
• Group: 3m, R3m
• Lattice: a=3.5, c=34.5

Etymology: Professor Charles Henry Smyth Jr.(1866-1937), economic geologist