Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Gower" title="User:Gower">Adrian Tync</a> (CC BY-SA 4.0)
tetragonalcommonSulfides
Chalcopyrite
CuFeS2
This specimen displays brassy yellow chalcopyrite, partially covered by a vibrant iridescent tarnish of blues, purples, and reds, often referred to as 'peacock ore', alongside darker, more purplish bornite.
Chalcopyrite Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
3.5Crystal System
tetragonalLuster
metallicStreak Color
greenish-blackCleavage
poor/indistinct on {011}Fracture
unevenSpecific Gravity
4.1Colors
brassy yellow, golden yellow, iridescent blue, purple, redTransparency
opaqueType Locality
Lubin, PolandMineral Group
SulfidesUses
primary ore of copper, collector's specimensAssociated Minerals
bornite, pyrite, sphalerite, galena, quartzRarity
commonGeological Context
Chalcopyrite is a widespread copper iron sulfide mineral found in various ore deposits, including hydrothermal veins, porphyry copper deposits, and volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits, forming under reducing conditions.
