Heazlewoodite & Zaratite
Lord Brassey Mine, Heazlewood district, Waratah-Wynyard municipality, Tasmania, Australia
Dimensions: 5.2 × 3.8 × 2.4 cm
Provenance: Original collection label, catalog no. 556, accompanied by a Scott Williams Mineral Co. label from Scottsdale, Arizona.
A richly contrasting nickel mineral specimen featuring vivid emerald-green mineralization distributed across a dark, metallic-looking matrix. The green material occurs as irregular coatings, patches, and vein-like concentrations, ranging from deep forest green to brighter translucent green along exposed edges. Subtle yellow-green areas and reflective gray-black surfaces create a complex interplay of color and texture.
Heazlewoodite is a nickel sulfide mineral with the chemical formula Ni₃S₂, while zaratite is a hydrated nickel carbonate historically associated with the alteration of nickel-bearing minerals. Their contrasting appearances illustrate the mineralogical diversity produced by nickel-rich geological environments.
Heazlewood, Tasmania, is the type locality for heazlewoodite, a mineral first described from the region in the nineteenth century. The area's nickel-bearing ultramafic rocks have made it an important locality in the study of nickel sulfides and their secondary alteration products.
