Mineralogy Database

Platinum Mineral Data

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General Platinum Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: Pt
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 195.08 gm
   Platinum 100.00 %  Pt
            ______ 
            100.00 % 
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Pt
Help on Environment: Environment: Mainly in grains and nuggets in alluvial deposits.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1748
Help on Locality: Locality: Most notably from the Urals, Russia and Brazil. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Spanish, platina = "silver."
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Platinum Say PLATINUM
Help on Synonym: Synonym: ICSD 64917
  PDF 4-802
 

Platinum Image

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  Cherepanovite   Cooperite   Platinum

Comments: Creamy-grayish fractured grains of cherepanovite with gray granular cooperite and white massive grains of iridian ruthenian platinum. Polished section in reflected light.
Location: Placer Deposit, Northern Pekul'nei River, Pekul'nei Range, Chukotka (Tchukotka) Okrug, Chukot Peninsula, Far-Eastern Region, Russia. Scale: Picture size 0.12 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

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  Platinum

Comments: Crystallized platinum nugget.
Location: Russia. Scale: 0.5 x 0.7 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

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  Platinum

Comments: Stream-worn, platinum nugget with chromite? Inclusions.
Location: Rio Tinto, San Juan River Basin, Papayan, Cauca, Columbia. Scale: Picture size 1.5 cm.
© Paul M. Schumacher

Platinum Crystallography

Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 3.9231, Z = 4; V = 60.38 Den(Calc)= 21.46
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Isometric - Hexoctahedral H-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: F m3m
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 2.265(1), 1.962(0.53), 1.1826(0.33),
 

Physical Properties of Platinum

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: None
Help on Color: Color: Whitish steel gray, Steel gray, Dark gray.
Help on Density: Density: 14 - 22, Average = 18
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Opaque
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Hackly - Jagged, torn surfaces, (e.g. fractured metals).
Help on Habit: Habit: Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.
Help on Habit: Habit: Nuggets - Irregular lumps produced by stream transport of malleable metals.
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 4-4.5 - Between Fluorite and Apatite
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Non-fluorescent.
Help on Luster: Luster: Metallic
Help on Magnetism: Magnetism: Naturally weak
Help on Streak: Streak: grayish white
 

Optical Properties of Platinum

Help on RL Color: RL Color: White.
Help on Reflectivity Reflectivity
Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Platinum in Air
λ R  ∑ R(λ) 
 400 nm   57.00   
 420 nm   58.00 
 440 nm   59.00 
 460 nm   60.00 
 480 nm   61.00 
 500 nm   61.80 
 520 nm   62.70 
 540 nm   63.50 
 560 nm   64.20 
 580 nm   64.80 
 600 nm   65.60 
 620 nm   66.30 
 640 nm   66.80 
 660 nm   67.40 
 680 nm   68.00 
 700 nm   68.50 
Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Platinum in Air
Relative
Intensity
   0%   20%   40%   60%   80% 100% 120% 140% 150%
R                  
 

Calculated Properties of Platinum

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=17.2 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Platinum =21.5 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.33
Boson Index = 0.67
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEPlatinum =1,619.87 barns/electron
U=PEPlatinum x rElectron Density=27798.55 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Platinum is Not Radioactive
 

Platinum Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 01.02.01.01 (01)Native Elements
  (01.02)with platinum group metals and alloys
  (01.02.01)Platinum group (Space Group Fm3m)
 
01.02.01.01 Platinum Pt F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
01.02.01.02 Iridium (Ir,Os,Ru,Pt) F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
01.02.01.03 Rhodium (Rh,Pt) F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
01.02.01.04 Palladium Pd,Pt F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 01.AF.10 01 - ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
  01.A - Metals and Intermetallic Alloys
  01.AF -Platinum-group elements
 
01.AF.10 Palladium Pd,Pt F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
01.AF.10 Iridium (Ir,Os,Ru,Pt) F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
01.AF.10 Rhodium (Rh,Pt) F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
01.AF.10 Platinum Pt F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 

Other Platinum Information

Help on References: References: NAME( Emsley91) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Platinum :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - GeoScienceWorld
5 - Google Images
6 - Google Scholar
7 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
9 - MinDAT
10 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - University of Texas at Austin
16 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Platinum

Pt
Dana No: 01.02.01.01 Strunz No: 01.AF.10
Locality:

 

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