THE
MINERAL CORNETITE
- Chemistry: Cu3PO4(OH)3 , Copper Phosphate Hydroxide.
- Class: Phosphates
- Uses: mineral specimens.
- Specimens
Cornetite is a rare secondary copper mineral that is noted for its deep blue, green-blue to green color. It is found in highly weathered, oxidation zones of copper sulfide ore bodies. It has a good deep color, nice crystal forms and an attractive sparkle, all the ingredients for a popular collection mineral.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
- Color is dark blue, green-blue to green.
- Luster is vitreous.
- Transparency: Specimens are translucent.
- Crystal System: is orthorhombic; 2/m2/m2/m
- Crystal Habits include crystals that are short, rounded, nearly diamond-shaped prisms that are terminated by a dome with trapezohedral faces, also as tiny crystalline druzes, fibrous masses and crusts.
- Cleavage is absent.
- Fracture is uneven.
- Hardness is 4.5
- Specific Gravity is approximately 4.1 (above average for translucent minerals)
- Streak is blue.
- Associated Minerals are
limonite,
libethenite,
malachite,
pseudomalachite , brochantite and other secondary copper ore minerals. - Notable Occurrences include Shaba, Congo; Bwana Mkubwa, Zambia and Empire Nevada Mine, Yerington,Nevada.
- Best Field Indicators are color, streak, crystal habits, associations and density.
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