What does cobaltite mean?
Cobaltite is a comparatively rare sulpharsenide mineral with the chemical formula CoAsS — one atom of cobalt combined with arsenic and sulfur. It is opaque, metallic, and silvery-grey with a faint pinkish tint, and it characteristically forms cubic or pyritohedral crystals resembling pyrite, which can make identification tricky in the field. Because it contains substantial amounts of cobalt, it has historically served as one of the important ores from which cobalt metal was extracted. Notable occurrences include Cobalt, Ontario, Sweden's Tunaberg district, and various European mining regions. Mineralogists distinguish it by its hardness, density, and crystal habit. The name derives ultimately from the German 'Kobold', a goblin said to haunt mines — a nod to the frustration early smelters felt toward cobalt-bearing ores that yielded no familiar metal while releasing toxic arsenic fumes. Today the word appears chiefly in geology, mining, and mineral-collecting contexts rather than general conversation.
nounA rare, lustrous grey-white mineral, cobalt arsenide sulfide (CoAsS), that crystallizes in the cubic system and is an important ore of cobalt.
- The mineral cobalt arsenide sulfide (CoAsS), an ore of cobalt.
"The miners identified cobaltite by its metallic lustre and its tendency to form distinctive cubic crystals."
"Veins of cobaltite ran through the silver mines of Cobalt, Ontario."
"Under the microscope, the cobaltite grains showed sharp cubic outlines against a quartz matrix."
Used when referring to multiple specimens, samples, or occurrences of the mineral.
"The museum drawer held cobaltites from several different localities."
The name traces back to 'kobolds' — mischievous German mine goblins blamed for ores that spewed toxic arsenic fumes when smelters tried to coax copper from them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cobaltite
Cobaltite takes its name directly from the element cobalt, whose name comes from the German 'Kobold', a household or mine spirit blamed by medieval German miners for troublesome ores. When those ores were smelted expecting silver or copper, they instead released poisonous arsenic-laden fumes and yielded little of value, so miners attributed the mischief to goblins. The '-ite' suffix follows standard mineralogical convention for naming mineral species. Swedish chemist Georg Brandt isolated and named cobalt as a distinct element in the 1730s, and the mineral name cobaltite arose thereafter in the scientific literature.
How cobaltite is actually used
A technical mineralogical term used mainly in geology, mining, and chemistry; it is not part of everyday vocabulary. The plural is typically used when referring to multiple specimens or occurrences.
Easily confused with cobaltite
Cobalt is the chemical element itself, whereas cobaltite is a specific mineral compound (CoAsS) that serves as a source of that element.
Erythrite is a pink-to-red hydrated cobalt arsenate mineral often found as an alteration product on cobaltite, which is itself opaque and silvery-grey.