PALLADOBISMUTHARSENIDE with MERTIEITE-II, Hessite Polished Section

Unknown Owner

The Coldwell complex, Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada is the largest alkaline igneous complex in North America and is famous for palladium and platinum-bearing minerals. This sample contains several rarities, including Palladobismutharsenide, Mertieite, Hessite, an unidentified Ag-Bi-Te-Pd phase, Clausthalite and Electrum. As always with these species, they form complex microscopic intergrowths that are only identifiable using reflected light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The sample we have here is a typical polished mount used for both reflected light microscopy and SEM studies and appears to have the tell-tale dark carbon coating indicating that it has been analysed using a SEM. The minerals occur in three rock chips (ranging in size from 15 x 5 mm to 10 x 4 mm) mounted in the polished block with one surface polished. This is not our usual type of specimen, but included due to its rarity. Examples of these rare species from this occurrence are few and far between. The overall measurements provided indicate the size of the polished block.