Molybdenite is a mineral that is shiny, and silvery-gray in color. It’s color is actually very similar to that of lead. Molybdenite crystals are hexagonal and are very thin, far thinner than paper, but they are usually found bunched together to make larger pieces in the same manner as the mineral group mica. And, just like mica, these thin sheets can flake apart with only a little effort. As the headline suggests molybdenite specimens are very soft. So soft that they bend easily so their hexagonal shape is often destroyed and they are often found in an amorphous state (which means that they have no regular shape, kind of like gold nuggets) In addition to being subject to distortion molybdenite can also wear very easily. In fact it will leave a silvery-gray smudge on almost anything that touches it so it’s probably best not to let molybdenite touch any expensive clothing! Molybdenite’s name comes from the Greek word molybdos, which means lead. This is because when the ancient Greeks discovered molybdenite they thought that they had found some new and strange form of lead.
Molybdenite is the chief ore of the metal molybdenum, which is used to make certain steel alloys such as tool-steels. For some time now, I have wanted to attempt to extract pure molybdenum from a small piece of molybdenite via either chemical reaction or a process known as electrolysis, but have not yet made this attempt. I do not recommend that any readers do so either until they have taken all necessary safety precautions and have researched the topic thoroughly.
Molybdenite is found in many places including: Sweden, Norway, Chile, Korea, England, the western United States, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and Queensland, Australia.
Molybdenite is, in my opinion, a visually appealing mineral. After all, there are very few minerals that I know of that look like pieces of metal! I am very thankful to own a piece of this mineral, even if it is a bit soft.
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