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.

Amethyst Galleries'
Mineral Gallery
MINERALS

By Name

Groupings
(By Class, Gemstones, Birthstones, etc.)

Properties

Rocks

Search

View Cart

Books

This site awarded

See Steve's video interview about asteroid capture at Moonandback: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
See Steve's blog Ramblings On The Future Of Humanity (recent post) A Project Plan for Space Based Solar Power You can make a difference! Help President Obama, NASA, and the people of Earth. See the Apophis Challenge for solutions to - Global Warming - Global Energy - Man in Space - Preventing the next Extinction Level Event