Villamaninita
Villamaninita is a mineral with formula (Cu,Ni,Co)FeS₂, in the Sulfuros group. This specimen comes from Mina Providencia, Villanueva de Pontedo, León, Castilla y León, España and joined the Terrium collection in 2025.
Description
White rock, dry in appearance and to the touch, speckled with dark, almost black-blue iridescent villamanínite in cuboctahedral habit.
History of this specimen
This piece travelled to Germany and returned to my Leonese hands a few days before the "lottery episode" of Villamanín: the festivities association sold more shares of the Christmas Lottery than it had bought, and it ended as a national grotesque of riches and miseries.
About Villamaninita
A rare member of the pyrite group, known for its Cu–Ni–Co combination. A type-locality specimen, well representative of the typical aspect: irregular black grains, dull lustre and massive texture. The most emblematic mineral species of León.
About the locality
Mina Providencia is the classic deposit where the species was defined. Its name stems from a historical confusion: material was shipped by rail from Villamanín station, and English researchers thought it came from there, but it did not.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0275
- Composition
- (Cu,Ni,Co)FeS₂
- Name
- Villamaninita
- Group
- Sulfuros
- Category
- Meritum Persé
- Matrix
- Roca encajante silícea
- Associations
- Pirita, calcopirita
- Mine
- Mina Providencia
- District / Municipality
- Villanueva de Pontedo
- Province
- León
- Region
- Castilla y León
- Country
- España
- Size (cm)
- 3.5 x 3.5 x 2
- Weight
- 33.2 g
- Acquired
- 2025
- Etymology
- It derives from the toponym "Villamanín" due to an error at the loading station, later corrected but retained by mineralogical tradition.
- Quality
- Muy buena
- Value trend
- Estable
Related specimens
- Abellaíta — España
- Abernathyita — España
- Abernathyita — España
- Abernathyita — España
- Acantita (Paramórfica tras Argentita) — Marruecos
- Aerenita — España
- Aerinita (fibrosa) — España
- Analcima — España