Home > Continental Europe – December 31 > MS0839 Gersdorffite

Gersdorffite - Sold


Gersdorffite is a nickel arsenic sulfide related to cobaltite. Although known earlier, Haidinger (1845) gave the minerals it current name in his Handbuch der bestimmende Mineralogie. The mineral name honors Johann von Gersdorff (1781-1849), owner of the nickel mine at Schladming, Austria. This is a crystalline mass of crudely octahedral grains of gersdorffite, with minor siderite. Nice old specimen. This specimen was part of the personal collection of Ralph Merrill, proprietor of the prolific mail order business Minerals Unlimited, obtained in 1963. Merrill's collection card and label also ship with the specimen.