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Vulcanite

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Vulcanite
Vulcanite from Good Hope Mine, Colorado, U.S.
General
CategoryTelluride mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)
CuTe
IMA symbolVul[1]
Strunz classification2.CB.75
Crystal systemOrthorhombic
Crystal classDipyramidal (mmm)
H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
Space groupPmnm
Identification
ColorPale to yellow bronze
Crystal habitMassive, granular, tabular
TwinningCommon
Cleavage[hk0] Good, [h0l] Indistinct
FractureSectile – Curved shavings or scrapings produced by a knife blade
Mohs scale hardness1–2
LusterMetallic
DiaphaneityOpaque
Specific gravity7.1
PleochroismVery strong, bright yellow to blue-gray
Fusibility1.5
References[2][3][4]

Vulcanite is a rare copper telluride mineral. The mineral has a metallic luster, and has a green or bronze-yellow tint. It has a hardness between 1 and 2 on the Mohs scale (between talc and gypsum). Its crystal structure is orthorhombic.

Vulcanite is named for the place where it was discovered in 1961, the Mammoth Good Hope Mine in Vulcan (ghost town and district), Gunnison County, Colorado.[4] Small deposits have also been discovered in Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Norway. It occurs with native tellurium, rickardite, petzite, and sylvanite.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. ^ "Vulcanite" in Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America
  3. ^ Vulcanite Mineral Data. Webmineral
  4. ^ a b Vulcanite. Mindat