Images
Formula: Ge
Element, metalloid, does not occur on Earth in the native state
Specific gravity: 5.323
Hardness: 6
Colour: Grey-white
Melting point: 938oC
Boiling point: 2830oC
Abundance in the Earth’s crust: 1.5 parts per million by mass, 0.42 parts per million by moles
Abundance in the Solar System: 200 parts per billion by mass, 3 parts per billion by moles
(ChC).
Occurrence: The main ore of germanium is germanite, which is about 7%
germanium.
Germanium-bearing minerals include:
Sulphides
briartite
catamarcaite
germanite
putzite
radvaniceite
renierite
ruizhongite
stangersite
zincobriartite
Germanides
marathonite
palladogermanide
Oxides
argutite
otjisumeite
pertoldite
Hydroxides
stottite
Phosphates
galloplumbogummite
Sulphates
fleischerite
itoite
Germanates
bartelkeite
Nesosilicates
brunogeierite
Back to Minerals