Where it forms, where it's found
- Geological setting
In serpentinite (lizardite), in a Cu-Ni bearing intrusive complex and in basic intrusive rocks.
- Type locality
- Nizhnii Mamon Cu-Ni Deposit
- Nizhnii Mamon Village
- Upper Don River
- Voronezh Oblast
- Russia
59recorded occurrences
Physical
- Hardness
- 1Talc
- 2Gypsum
- 3Calcite
- 4Fluorite
- 5Apatite
- 6Orthoclase
- 7Quartz
- 8Topaz
- 9Corundum
- 10Diamond
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Colour
- Bronze-black
- Cleavage
- Distinct/Good
On (001)
- Density
- 2.96 g/cm³
Optical
- Pleochroism
- Strong
Yellowish brown to yellowish gray.
- Optical colour
- Yellowish brown.
- Anisotropism
- Strong, pinkish cream to gray.
- Tropism
- Anisotropic
- Reflectance R%
- (9.3,15.0) 440, (9.2,15.8) 460, (9.1,16.3) 480, (8.9,16.9) 500, (8.8,17.4) 520, (8.8,17.8) 540, (8.7,18.2) 560, (8.6,18.8) 580, (8.4,19.3) 600, (8.3,19.8) 620, (8.2,20.2) 640, (8.1,20.5) 660, (8.0,20.8) 680, (8.0,21.0) 700
Reflected-light panel
R̄ 8.6 %anisotropic · dual curve
Specimen
White reference
R₁ R₂
Mode
Crystallography
- Type-locality form
As radiating aggregates of cylindrical acicular crystals, which may be hollow, to 1 cm; as paper-thin coatings, felted masses, and as clots.
- Comment
Monoclinic or triclinic: Space Group: P2, Pm, or P2/m with a = 5.42 b = 15.77 c = 10.74 β = 95◦ Z=6, or Space Group: C1 with a = 5.37 b = 15.65 c = 10.72 α = 90◦ β = 95◦ γ = 90◦ Z=1
Crystal structure
Chemical composition
Synonyms
- IMA1971-002
- Tochiliniet
In other languages
- German
- IMA 1971-002 · Tochilinit
- Italian
- Tochilinite
Classification
Strunz
10th ed.2.FD.35
- 2Sulfides and SulfosaltsClass
- 2.FSulfides of arsenic, alkalies; sulfides with halide, oxide, hydroxide, H2ODivision
- 2.FDWith O, OH, H2OGroup
- 2.FD.35TochiliniteSpecies
Dana
8th ed.02.14.02.01
- 02SulfidesClass
- 02.14Hydroxysulfides and Hydrated SulfidesType
- 02.14.02— unnamed intermediate level —Group
- 02.14.02.01TochiliniteSpecies
CIM
—4.8
- 4OxysulphidesClass
- 4.8— unnamed intermediate level —Group
- 4.8TochiliniteSpecies
Group, growth & confusion
Literature, links & citation
Citations
- 1971Organova, N.I., Genkin, A.D., Drits, V.A., Molotkov, S.P., Kuz'mina, O.V., Dmitrik, A.L. (1971) Tochilinite, a new sulfide-hydroxide of iron and magnesium. Zapiski Vsesoyuznogo Mineralogicheskogo Obshchestva: 100(4): 477-487 [in Russian].
- 1972Fleischer, Michael (1972) New Mineral Names. American Mineralogist, 57 (9-10) 1552-1561
- 1973Organova, N.I., Drits, V.A., Dmitrik, A.L. (1973) Structural study of tochilinite. Part I. The isometric variety. Soviet Physics - Crystallography: 17: 667-671.
- 1974Organova, N.I., Drits, V.A., Dmitrik, A.L. (1974) Structural study of tochilinite. II. Acicular variety. Unusual diffraction patterns. Soviet Physics - Crystallography: 18: 606-609.
- 1980MURAMATSU, YOICHI, NAMBU, MATSUO (1980) Tochilinite and cuprian tochilinite from the Kamaishi mine,Iwate prefecture,Japan. The Journal of the Japanese Association of Mineralogists, Petrologists and Economic Geologists, 75 (11) 377-384 doi:10.2465/ganko1941.75.377 DOI: 10.2465/ganko1941.75.377
Cite this entry
@misc{mineral2026,
author = {Mineral Index editorial board},
title = {Tochilinite — Mineral Index},
year = {2026},
url = {https://mineralindex.org/minerals/tochilinite-3986},
note = {Accessed 2026-05-11}
}