Chalcanthite
General
Category	Mineral
Chemical formula	CuSO4 · 5H2O (copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate)
Identification
Color	Blue; Green
Crystal habit	typically stalactitic, encrusted, reniform or massive. Natural crystals are rare, but are short prismatic or tabular
Crystal system	Triclinic
Cleavage	[110] Imperfect, Indistinct; [111] Indistinct
Fracture	Conchoidal
Mohs Scale hardness	2.5
Luster	Vitreous
Refractive index
Pleochroism	None
Streak	White
Specific gravity	2.12 - 2.3
Melting point
Solubility	Soluble in water, turning it blue
Diaphaneity	Transparent to translucent
Poisonous

Chalcanthite, whose name derives from the Greek, chalkos and anthos, meaning copper flower, is a richly-colored blue/green water-soluble sulfate mineral, commonly found in the late-stage oxidation zones of copper deposits. Due to its ready solubility, chalcanthite is more frequently found in greater abundance in arid regions. Image File history File links This is a photo of a sample I purchased from Amethyst Galleries. ... This article is about minerals in the geologic sense; for nutrient minerals see dietary mineral; for the band see Mineral (band). ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic brown Atomic mass 63. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... General Name, Symbol, Number hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1, 1, s Appearance colorless Atomic mass 1. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... Copper(II) sulfate, copper(II) sulphate, or blue vitriol (CuSO4) is the most common copper salt, made by the action of sulfuric acid on the base copper(II) oxide. ... Jump to: navigation, search Color is an important part of the visual arts. ... In mineralogy, shape and size give rise to descriptive terms applied to the typical appearance, or habit of crystals. ... In mineralogy and crystallography, a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. ... Cleavage, in mineralogy, is the tendency of crystalline materials to split along definite planes, creating smooth surfaces, of which there are several named types: Basal cleavage: cleavage parallel to the base of a crystal, or to the plane of the lateral axes. ... A fracture is the separation of a body into two, or more, pieces under the action of stress. ... Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer. ... For the file system called Lustre, see Lustre (file system) Lustre (American English: luster) is a description of the way light interacts with the surface of a crystal, rock or mineral. ... The refractive index of a material is the factor by which the phase velocity of electromagnetic radiation is slowed relative to vacuum. ... Pleochroism is an optical phenomenon where due to double refraction of light by a colored gem or crystal, the light is divided into two paths which are polarized at a 90° angle to each other. ... In any mineral, its streak refers to the color of its powder. ... Relative density (also known as specific gravity) is a measure of the density of a material. ... The melting point of a solid is the temperature at which it changes state from solid to liquid. ... A solvent is a liquid that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution. ... A solvent is a liquid that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution. ... Sulfate is the IUPAC name for the SO42- ion, consisting of a central sulfur atom single bonded to four tetrahedrally oriented oxygen atoms. ... This article is about minerals in the geologic sense; for nutrient minerals see dietary mineral; for the band see Mineral (band). ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic brown Atomic mass 63. ...

Chalcantite is the most common member of a group of related hydrated sulfates. These other sulfates are identical in chemical composition to chalcanthite, with the exception of replacement of the copper ion by either manganese (forming jokokuite, MnSO₄ · 5H₂O, iron (forming siderotil, FeSO₄ · 5H₂O), or magnesium (forming pentahydrite, MgSO₄ · 5H₂O). An ion is an atom or group of atoms with a net electric charge. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number manganese, Mn, 25 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 7, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Atomic mass 54. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number manganese, Mn, 25 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 7, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Atomic mass 54. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... General Name, Symbol, Number hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1, 1, s Appearance colorless Atomic mass 1. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... Jump to: navigation, search Iron(II) sulfide is a form of iron sulfide (others include iron pyrite aka Fools Gold), and can be obtained by reacting iron and sulfur under great heat. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... General Name, Symbol, Number hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1, 1, s Appearance colorless Atomic mass 1. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... General Name, Symbol, Number magnesium, Mg, 12 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 3, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 24. ... General Name, Symbol, Number magnesium, Mg, 12 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 3, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 24. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... General Name, Symbol, Number hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1, 1, s Appearance colorless Atomic mass 1. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ...

Uses of chalcanthite

As chalcanthite is a copper mineral, it can be used as an ore of copper. However, its ready solubility in water means that it tends to crystallize, dissolve, and recrystallize as crusts over any mine surface in more humid regions. Therefore, chalcanthite is only found in the most arid regions in sufficiently large quantities for use as an ore. An ore is a mineral deposit containing a metal or other valuable resource in economically viable concentrations. ... Jump to: navigation, search Water (from the Old English word wæter; c. ...

Secondarily, chalcanthite, due to its rich color and beautiful crystals, is a sought after collector's mineral. However, as with its viability as an ore, the solubility of the mineral causes significant problems.gayfag First, the mineral readily absorbs and releases its water content, which, over time, leads to a disintegration of the crystal structure, destroying even the finest specimens. Second, higher quality crystals can be easily grown synthetically, and, as such, there is a concern that disreputable mineral dealers would present a sample as natural when it is not. Quartz crystal A crystal is a solid in which the constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are packed in a regularly ordered, repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. ...

Associated minerals

Given that chalcanthite is found in oxidized copper deposits, it is frequently found in association with other copper minerals. Frequently associated minerals include:

• calcite and its polymorph, aragonite, both CaCO₃
• brochantite, Cu₄(SO₄)(OH)₆
• chalcopyrite, CuFeS₂
• malachite, Cu₂(CO₃)(OH)₂
• melanterite, FeSO₄ · 5H₂O

Calcite from Brushy Creek Mine, Missouri, USA. The mineral calcite is a calcium carbonate corresponding to the formula CaCO3 and is one of the most widely distributed minerals on the Earths surface. ... Example of allotropic materials: graphite vs. ... Aragonite Aragonite is a polymorph of the mineral calcite, both having the chemical composition CaCO3. ... General Name, Symbol, Number calcium, Ca, 20 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 4, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 40. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number carbon, C, 6 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 14, 2, p Appearance black (graphite) colorless (diamond) Atomic mass 12. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... Brochantite is a sulfate mineral, one of a number of cupric sulfates. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic brown Atomic mass 63. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... Hydroxide is a polyatomic ion consisting of oxygen and hydrogen: −O−H It has a charge of −1. ... Chalcopyrite is a copper iron sulfide mineral that crystallizes in the tetragonal system. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic brown Atomic mass 63. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... Malachite from the Democratic Republic of Congo Malachite is a carbonate mineral, copper(II) carbonate hydroxide Cu2CO3(OH)2. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic brown Atomic mass 63. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number carbon, C, 6 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 14, 2, p Appearance black (graphite) colorless (diamond) Atomic mass 12. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... Hydroxide is a polyatomic ion consisting of oxygen and hydrogen: −O−H It has a charge of −1. ... Iron(II) sulfate (FeSO4) is an example of an ionic compound. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... General Name, Symbol, Number hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1, 1, s Appearance colorless Atomic mass 1. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ...

Alternative names

Chalcanthite has several alternative names, including blue stone, blue vitriol, and copper vitriol. Blue stone is a generic mineral description commonly applied to a variety of minerals. ...

Notes for identification

Chalcanthite's blue color is one of its most notable features, but it is insufficent in identification. Other useful tests include associated minerals, crystal habit, solubility and subsequent coloring of the water blue, and taste. A special note on tasting chalcanthite, however: chalcanthite has a sweetly metallic taste, but taste testing should not be done haphazardly. The specimen should be lightly touched to the tip of the tongue only, as chalcanthite is poisonous. In mineralogy, shape and size give rise to descriptive terms applied to the typical appearance, or habit of crystals. ...

References

• WebMineral Listing
• MinDat Listing
• Mineral Galleries