The Strange & Forgotten Rush in Tasmania For A Rare Metal

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#tasmania #minerals #metal #rush #gold #goldrush #prospecting #goldprospecting #volcaniceruptions #volcanoes
The rush for Osmiridium in Tasmania is relatively unknown and forgotten about in present day, but in the early 1900s, Tasmania became the primary producer for the rare platinum group element known as Osmiridium, which was a mixture of osmium and iridium. These elements are used in various applications, from the manufacture of pen nibs, to electronic components and more.

Osmiridium was originally viewed as a contaminant during the gold rushes in Tasmania during the 1800s, and much of it was discarded. Miners were actually penalized if their gold contained osmiridium as it was viewed as an undesirable element and it complicated the smelting process for the gold. It was only later on, when prices for this metal surged, that it became the focus of prospectors. When the Russian empire collapsed the price for osmiridium, which largely came from Russia, further surged and many set out to find it in placer deposits and alluvial streams. In terms of geology, osmiridium was shed from metamorphosed ultramafic rocks which were erupted onto the surface during a turbulent period in the Cambrian era, and they were later metamorphosed during the Devonian period, which served to further concentrate the osmiridium within the host rocks.

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