Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
orthorhombicuncommonSulfates
Cyanotrichite
Cu₄Al₂(SO₄)(OH)₁₂·2H₂O
This specimen features vibrant sky-blue cyanotrichite forming delicate, acicular (needle-like) crystals, often radiating, coating a darker matrix, likely malachite.
Cyanotrichite Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
2Crystal System
orthorhombicLuster
silkyStreak Color
pale blueCleavage
perfect on {100}Fracture
unevenSpecific Gravity
2.8Colors
sky-blue, azure-blue, light blueTransparency
translucentType Locality
Maid of Sunshine Mine, Turquoise District (Courtland-Gleeson District), Dragoon Mts, Cochise County, Arizona, USAMineral Group
SulfatesUses
collectorAssociated Minerals
malachiteRarity
uncommonGeological Context
Cyanotrichite is a secondary mineral that forms in the oxidized zones of copper deposits, typically in arid or semi-arid environments. It is often found in association with other secondary copper minerals.
