melonite

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{{Infobox mineral

| name = Melonite

| boxwidth =

| boxbgcolor =#baa457

| image = Melonite-Calaverite-219105.jpg

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| caption = Melonite after calaverite, on quartz. Cresson mine, Cripple Creek, Colorado. Size: 1.3 × 0.9 × 0.4 cm.

| category = Sulfide minerals

| formula = NiTe₂

| IMAsymbol = Mlt{{Cite journal|last=Warr|first=L.N.|date=2021|title=IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols|journal=Mineralogical Magazine|volume=85|issue=3|pages=291–320|doi=10.1180/mgm.2021.43|bibcode=2021MinM...85..291W|s2cid=235729616|doi-access=free}}

| molweight = 313.89 g/mol

| strunz = 2.EA.20

| dana = 02.12.14.01

| class = Hexagonal scalenohedral ({{overline|3}}m)
H-M symbol: ({{overline|3}} 2/m)

| symmetry = P{{overline|3}}m1

| unit cell = a = 3.84 Å, c = 5.26 Å; Z = 1

| color = White, reddish white

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| habit = Crystalline, foliated, granular

| system = Trigonal

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| cleavage = {0001} Perfect

| fracture = Brittle

| tenacity =

| mohs = 1–1.5

| luster = Metallic

| streak = Dark gray

| diaphaneity = Opaque

| gravity = 7.72

| density = 7.3

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| fluorescence = None

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| references = [https://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/MineralData?mineral=Melonite Mineralienatlas]{{cite web|title=Melonite Mineral Data|url=http://webmineral.com/data/Melonite.shtml|publisher=Webmineral.com|accessdate=2011-10-28}}{{cite web|title=Melonite mineral information and data|url=http://www.mindat.org/min-2639.html|publisher=Mindat.org|accessdate=2011-10-28}}{{cite web|title=Mieralienatlas Lexikon - Melonit|url=http://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/MineralData?lang=en&language=english&mineral=Melonit|publisher=Mieralienatlas|accessdate=2011-10-28}}

}}

Melonite is a telluride of nickel; it is a metallic mineral. Its chemical formula is NiTe₂. It is opaque and white to reddish-white in color, oxidizing in air to a brown tarnish.

It was first described from the Melones and Stanislaus mine in Calaveras County, California in 1866, by Frederick Augustus Genth.

Melonite occurs as trigonal crystals, which cleave in a (0001) direction. It has a specific gravity of 7.72 and a hardness of 1–1.5 (very soft).