page_title: Chalcanthite
section_title: Uses of chalcanthite
hierarchical_section_title: Chalcanthite / Uses of chalcanthite
caption_attribution_description: English: Chalcanthite Locality: Washington Camp-Duquesne District, Patagonia District, Patagonia Mts, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, USA (Locality at mindat.org) A STRIKING old-time specimen of needles of lustrous, royal-blue chalcanthite to 1.0 cm aesthetically set on a nicely contrasting crust of limonite from Washington Camp, Patagonia District, Arizona. Ex Richard Hauck Collection. 5.5 x 2.9 x 1.5 cm Deutsch: Chalkanthit Fundort: Washington Camp-Duquesne District, Patagonia District, Patagonia Mts, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, Vereinigte Staaten (Fundort bei mindat.org)
context_page_description: Chalcanthite, whose name derives from the Greek, chalkos and anthos, meaning copper flower, is a richly colored blue/green water-soluble sulfate mineral CuSO₄·5H₂O. It is commonly found in the late-stage oxidation zones of copper deposits. Due to its ready solubility, chalcanthite is more common in arid regions.
  Chalcanthite is a pentahydrate and the most common member of a group of similar hydrated sulfates, the chalcanthite group. These other sulfates are identical in chemical composition to chalcanthite, with the exception of replacement of the copper ion by either manganese as jokokuite, iron as siderotil, or magnesium as pentahydrite.
  Other names include blue stone, blue vitriol, and copper vitriol.
context_section_description: 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.
  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. 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. It is critical to store specimens properly to limit exposure to humidity. 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.
caption: Chalcanthite on limonite from Washington Camp, Santa Cruz County, Arizona (size: 5.5 x 2.9 x 1.5 cm)
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