Detailed information
Species
Native Osmium, Native Iridium, (grains in glass Phial)
Dimensions
11 x 50 x 11
mm
Weight
1 g
Locality
Orepuki Southland District Southland Region, New Zealand
Condition
No recorded repairs
Weighing-in at 1 gram, this mix of Native Osmium and Native Iridium, contained in a small glass phial (5 cm x 1 cm) with cork stopper, will make an interesting and welcome addition to any set of native elements. Many mineral collectors are fascinated with native elements, some actually building a mapped out copy of the periodic table with all (available) elements in their rightful place. I add the caveat of 'available' as a fair number are either too rare or too dangerous to include. Osmium and Iridium sit next to each other in the periodic table with atomic numbers 76 (Os) and 77 (Ir). In pure metallic form, Osmium is bluish-white and Iridium is silvery-white, both being transition metals in the platinum group. Iridium sits next to Platinum (At. No. 78). This mixed sample is from Orepuki in the Southland District of Southland Region, New Zealand, a coastal locality on the far tip of South Island. Alluvial placers are accessible along Gemstone Beach and this was the site of a gold rush during the 1860s. It is from the superb systematic collection assembled by the brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021). The total weight of the phial, cork stopper and Native Osmium/Iridium is 4.9 g.