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Fullerite

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Formula:
C60
Colour:
Black
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
3½
Crystal System:
Tetragonal
Name:
Named for Richard Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983), American architect and visionary. Invented the geodesic dome which illustrates the molecular morphology of fullerenes.
Apparently a fullerene with a C60 composition. Originally described from Shun'ga area, Shun'ga village, Onega lake, Karelia Republic, Northern Region, Russia and Tuvish basaltoid pipe, Gissar Range, Viloyati Sogd (Viloyati Sughd; Viloyati Khodzhent; Viloyati Leninabad), Tajikistan.

In the Shun'ga material, the fullerenes are present in merely trace quantities (0.0001 < 0.001%) (Mosin and Ignatov, 2013), and not as discrete particles, so it would be wrong to consider these fullerene molecules as "minerals" or "mineraloids" in any sense at all and the misleading "-ite" suffix should never have been used.


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Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
6959
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:6959:1

Similar NamesHide

FluoriteA valid IMA mineral species - grandfatheredCaF2
FowleriteA valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered(Mn2+,Zn,Ca)SiO3
MülleriteA valid IMA mineral speciesPb2Fe3+(Te6+O6)Cl
Müllerite (of McIvor)A synonym of Schertelite
PholeriteA synonym
ValleriiteA valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered(Fe2+,Cu)4(Mg,Al)3S4(OH,O)6

IMA Classification of FulleriteHide

IMA status:
Questionable
IMA status notes:
Published without approval

Classification of FulleriteHide

Strunz-mindat (2026):
1.CB.05c

1 : ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)
C : Metalloids and Nonmetals
B : Carbon-silicon family
Dana 7th ed.:
1.3.5.5

Physical Properties of FulleriteHide

Lustre:
Vitreous
Colour:
Black
Streak:
Black
Hardness:
3½ on Mohs scale

Chemistry of FulleriteHide

Mindat Formula:
C60
Element Weights:
Element% weight
C100.000 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.
C
Elements listed:
C - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of FulleriteHide

Crystal System:
Tetragonal

Synonyms of FulleriteHide

Other Language Names for FulleriteHide

German:Fullerit
Spanish:Fullerita

Common AssociatesHide

Associations Based on Photo Data:
2 photos of Fullerite associated with 'Shungite (1)'

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

1.CB.TartarositeCIso. 23 : I213
1.CB.05bChaoiteCHex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P6/mmm
1.CB.05aGraphiteCHex. 6mm : P63mc
1.CB.10aDiamondCIso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
1.CB.10bLonsdaleiteCHex. 6/mmm(6/m2/m2/m) : P63/mmc
1.CB.15Native SiliconSiIso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m

Other InformationHide

Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Internet Links for FulleriteHide

References for FulleriteHide

Localities for FulleriteHide

Showing 3 localities.

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.
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Locality ListHide

- This locality has map coordinates listed. - This locality has estimated coordinates. ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence. ? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality. - Good crystals or important locality for species. - World class for species or very significant. (TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species. (FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties). Struck out - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Kazakhstan
 
  • Ulytau Region
    • Ulytau District
      • Mayatas ore region
Levin et al. (2021)
Russia
 
  • Krasnoyarsk Krai
    • Taymyrskiy Autonomous Okrug
      • Taimyr Peninsula
        • Norilsk-Talnakh Mining Region
          • Talnakh Cu-Ni Deposit
            • Oktyabrsky Mine
Spiridonov et al. (2016)
  • Republic of Karelia
    • Medvezhyegorsky District
      • Shun'ga village
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