Log In
Shiranuiite
A valid IMA mineral species
This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
Formula:
Cu+(Rh3+Rh4+)S4
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
5
Specific Gravity:
5.78 (Calculated)
Crystal System:
Isometric
Member of:
Name:
This new mineral was named shiranuiite based on a Japanese legend that leads to the ancient name for Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. In the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), the oldest book that records the history of Japan, Emperor Keiko, the 12th emperor of Japan, lost his bearing at sea during a pilgrimage to Kyushu, but was able to land safely because he fortunately saw fire in the distance. He then asked, "Who lit the fire?" to which everyone reportedly replied that it was "The fire that everyone does not know about (= SHIRANUI, in Japanese historical kana orthography)". From this lore, this area came to be called "Land of Fire", now known as Kumamoto Prefecture. Shiranuiite was named in honor of this interesting episode of the locality.
The Rh4+-analogue of ezochiite; the Rh, or rather RhRh-analogue of malanite.
Possibly a variety of cuprorhodsite:
Instead of weighing the significance of chemical substitution in a PGE-dominant thiospinel, the readership is instead burdened with accepting that there are three potential minerals with virtually identical crystal structures and similar, but supposedly distinct, chemical compositions. In the absence of any new, compelling data, particularly regarding the valences of the ions present in both ezochiite and shiranuiite, it is argued that both are not new mineral species but instead represent varieties of cuprorhodsite.
Possibly a variety of cuprorhodsite:
Instead of weighing the significance of chemical substitution in a PGE-dominant thiospinel, the readership is instead burdened with accepting that there are three potential minerals with virtually identical crystal structures and similar, but supposedly distinct, chemical compositions. In the absence of any new, compelling data, particularly regarding the valences of the ions present in both ezochiite and shiranuiite, it is argued that both are not new mineral species but instead represent varieties of cuprorhodsite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
471057
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:471057:4
IMA Classification of Shiranuiite
Approved
IMA Formula:
Cu1+(Rh3+Rh4+)S2-4
Classification of Shiranuiite
2.DA.05
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
D : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 3 :4 and 2:3
A : M:S = 3:4
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
D : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 3 :4 and 2:3
A : M:S = 3:4
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Sir | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Shiranuiite
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Hardness:
5 on Mohs scale
Comment:
according to the analogous thiospinel-group minerals
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Poor/Indistinct
estimated to be along the {111} planes according to the isotypic malanite
estimated to be along the {111} planes according to the isotypic malanite
Density:
5.78 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Chemistry of Shiranuiite
Mindat Formula:
Cu+(Rh3+Rh4+)S4
Element Weights:
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Shiranuiite
Crystal System:
Isometric
Class (H-M):
m3m(4/m32/m) - Hexoctahedral
Space Group:
Fd3m
Setting:
Fd3m
Cell Parameters:
a = 9.757(2) Å
Unit Cell V:
928.86 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
8
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2.95 Å | (55) |
| 2.44 Å | (36) |
| 1.879 Å | (61) |
| 1.725 Å | (100) |
| 1.487 Å | (29) |
| 1.409 Å | (18) |
| 1.270 Å | (46) |
| 1.220 Å | (44) |
Type Occurrence of Shiranuiite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Isoferroplatinum-based grains are often accompanied by black to gray colored nubs from 20 to 500 μm in size. Shiranuiite and cuprorhodsite occur as dominant minerals of such nubs, although both are indistinguishable based on the occurrence mode and can only be distinguished by chemical analysis.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Type material is deposited in the collections of the National Museum of Nature and Science, Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0005, Japan, specimen number NSM-M50086
Geological Setting of Type Material:
The clinopyroxenite mass has a depression near the center, and a small river, approximately 2-3 m wide and 2 km long, passes through this area and joins the Shakain River. PGM can be collected as a placer in this small river. Most of the PGM placer collected was composed of isoferroplatinum-based grains that are irregularly shaped with an average size of less than 1 mm, although grains up to 4 mm were also obtained.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Other Language Names for Shiranuiite
Dutch:Shiranuiiet
German:Shiranuiit
Relationship of Shiranuiite to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of Carrollite Subgroup:
| Berndlehmannite | Cu(CrV)S4 | Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m |
| Carrollite | CuCo2S4 | Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m |
| Cuproiridsite | (Cu,Fe)Ir2S4 | Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m |
| Cuprokalininite | Cu(Cr3+Cr4+)S4 | Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m |
| Ezochiite | Cu+(Rh3+Pt4+)S4 | Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m |
| Fletcherite | CuNi2S4 | Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m |
| Florensovite | (Cu,Zn)Cr1.5Sb0.5S4 | Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) |
| Malanite | Cu+(Ir3+Pt4+)S4 | Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) |
| Rhodostannite | Cu+(Fe2+0.5Sn4+1.5)S4 | Tet. 4/m : I41/a |
| Toyohaite | Ag+(Fe2+0.5Sn4+1.5)S4 | Tet. 4/m : I41/a |
| 'Unnamed (Fe3+-analogue of Fletcherite)' | Cu(Fe3+,Ni,Co)2S4 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 2.DA. | Ferrodimolybdenite | FeMo2S4 |
| 2.DA. | Zaykovite | Rh3Se4 |
| 2.DA. | Ezochiite | Cu+(Rh3+Pt4+)S4 |
| 2.DA. | Grimmite | NiCo2S4 |
| 2.DA. | Zolenskyite | FeCr2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Fletcherite | CuNi2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Florensovite | (Cu,Zn)Cr1.5Sb0.5S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Siegenite | CoNi2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Cadmoindite | CdIn2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Kalininite | ZnCr2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Violarite | Fe2+Ni3+2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Nickeltyrrellite | CuNi2Se4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Linnaeite | Co2+Co3+2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Carrollite | CuCo2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Cuproiridsite | (Cu,Fe)Ir2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Cuprorhodsite | (Cu+0.5Fe3+0.5)Rh3+2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Berndlehmannite | Cu(CrV)S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Polydymite | Ni2+Ni3+2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Trüstedtite | Ni3Se4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Daubréelite | Fe2+Cr3+2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Cuprokalininite | Cu(Cr3+Cr4+)S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Greigite | Fe2+Fe3+2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Joegoldsteinite | MnCr2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Bornhardtite | Co2+Co3+2Se4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Tyrrellite | Cu(Co,Ni)2Se4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Indite | FeIn2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Xingzhongite | Pb2+Ir3+2S4 |
| 2.DA.05 | Malanite | Cu+(Ir3+Pt4+)S4 |
| 2.DA.10 | Rhodostannite | Cu+(Fe2+0.5Sn4+1.5)S4 |
| 2.DA.10 | Toyohaite | Ag+(Fe2+0.5Sn4+1.5)S4 |
| 2.DA.15 | Brezinaite | Cr3S4 |
| 2.DA.15 | Heideite | (Fe,Cr)1.15(Ti,Fe)2S4 |
| 2.DA.20 | Konderite | Cu3Pb(Rh,Pt,Ir)8S16 |
| 2.DA.20 | Inaglyite | Cu3Pb(Ir,Pt)8S16 |
| 2.DA.25 | Kingstonite | Rh3S4 |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Shiranuiite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-471057.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
Search Engines:
External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
References for Shiranuiite
Localities for Shiranuiite
Showing 1 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Japan (TL) | |
| Nishio-Hamane +2 other references |
