WGNHS
Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey

Violarite

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Dark purplish mass of violarite with brassy chalcopyrite. From the Vermilion Mine, Denison Township, Sudbury District, Ontario, Canada. Specimen is 40 mm across. (Photo courtesy Dan and Diana Weinrich Minerals. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.)

Formula: FeNi2S4 Isometric

Description:Violarite is a massive grey sulfide formed in hydrothermal deposits with other nickel minerals such as millerite.IOWA COUNTY: Violarite has been identified at several of the old zinc-lead district mines, particularly in the Linden area. Here it occurs with pyrite, marcasite, galena, sphalerite, calcite, and millerite. Some specific localities as given in Heyl, Milton, and Axelrod (1959) are:
—At the Glanville Mine and Mason Mine in the SW sec. 8 T.5N. R.2E. near Linden.
—At the Mason Mine, SW NE sec. 16 T.5N. R.2E., also near Linden.
—At the Dodgeville #2 Mine, Dodgeville.

LAFAYETTE COUNTY: Violarite occurs with bravoite as dark-grey coatings on and pseudomorphs after millerite at the Farrey Mine, NE NW sec. 14 T.1N. R.1E. (Heyl, Milton, and Axelrod, 1959).