Shattuckite
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| Shattuckite | |
|---|---|
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| General | |
| Category | Mineral |
| Chemical formula | Cu5(SiO3)4(OH)2 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Dark and light blue, turqoise |
| Cleavage | perfect in two directions. |
| Fracture | uneven |
| Mohs Scale hardness | 3.5 |
| Luster | Dull to vitreous |
| Optical Properties | translucent to opaque |
| Streak | Blue |
| Specific gravity | approximately 4.1 (rather heavy for a non-metallic mineral) |
Shattuckite is a mineral, a copper silicate hydroxide with formula Cu5(SiO3)4(OH)2. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic - dipyramidal crystal system and usually occurs in a granular massive form and also as fibrous acicular crystals.
Shattuckite is a relatively rare copper silicate mineral. It was first discovered in the copper mines of Bisbee, Arizona, specifically the Shattuck Mine (hence the name). It is a secondary mineral that forms from the alteration of other secondary minerals. At the Shattuck Mine, it forms pseudomorphs after malachite. A pseudomorph is an atom by atom replacement of a crystal structure by another crystal structure, but with little alteration of the outward shape of the original crystal.
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