Telluric iron
| Telluric iron | |
|---|---|
Sawed slab of basalt with bright, metallic native-iron inclusions from Uivfaq, Disko Island (specimen size: 7.8 cm × 3.5 cm × 0.6 cm (3.07 in × 1.38 in × 0.24 in)) | |
| General | |
| Category | Native element mineral |
| Formula | Fe |
| Strunz classification | 1.AE.05 |
| Dana classification | 1.1.17.1 |
| Crystal system | Cubic |
| Crystal class | Hexoctahedral (m3m) H-M symbol: (4/m 3 2/m) |
| Space group | Im3m |
| Unit cell | a = 2.8664 Å; Z = 2 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Steel-gray to iron-black, white in polished section |
| Crystal habit | Massive, as interstitial blebs, rare as crystals |
| Twinning | On {111} and on {112} |
| Cleavage | {001}; with parting on {112} |
| Fracture | Hackly |
| Tenacity | Malleable |
| Mohs scale hardness | 4 |
| Luster | Metallic |
| Diaphaneity | Opaque |
| Specific gravity | 7.3–7.87 |
| References | |
Telluric iron, also called native iron, is iron that originated on Earth, and is found in a metallic form rather than as an ore. Telluric iron is extremely rare, with only one known major deposit in the world, located in Greenland.