Name/Title
BrochantiteEntry/Object ID
2004.1.89Description
Chemical Composition: Cu4SO4(OH)6
Crystal System: Monoclinic System
Description: Common Name: Brochantite
Group Name: Sulfates
Chemistry: Cu4SO4(OH)6
Location: Great Australia mine, Australia
Description: Green fuzzballs with black matrix.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Color is a bright emerald green or dark green to almost black.
Luster is vitreous to pearly on cleavage surfaces.
Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m.
Crystal Habits include acicular or fibrous crystals aggregated into coatings and tufts as well as small tabular crystals and reniform, massive or granular specimens. Terminations tend to be rounded or dome-like. Twinning is common and gives an orthorhombic look to larger crystals.
Cleavage is perfect in one direction nearly perpendicular to length.
Fracture is uneven.
Hardness is 3.5 - 4
Specific Gravity is approximately 3.9+ (above average for translucent minerals)
Streak is green.
Other Characteristics: Does not effervesce in hydrochloric acid.
Associated Minerals are limonite, cuprite, chrysocolla, cyanotrichite, malachite, langite, posnjakite and azurite. .
Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, associations, hardness, cleavage, non-reaction to hydrochloric acid and color
Fracture: uneven
Hardness: 3 Calcite
Luster: Vitreous
Occurrence: Formed in arid climates or in rapidly oxidizing copper
Notable Occurrences include numerous locations in Chile; Ural Mountains, Russia; England; Italy; Romania; Zaire and several locations in Arizona, Nevada, California, New Mexico and Utah, USA
Specific Gravity: 3.9
Streak: green
Variety: Brochantite is similar to other fibrous green copper minerals that form in oxidation zones such as the carbonate mineral malachite, the halide mineral atacamite and the closely related sulfate mineral antlerite. This brings up a number of identification problems. Acicular malachite will effervesce in warm hydrochloric acid and brochantite will not. Atacamite is slightly softer and is usually less transparent. Antlerite is all but indistinguishable by ordinary means although its terminations are typically flatter than the rounded terminations of brochantite.Collection
Suomynona Mineral CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2004.1Source or Donor
Suomynona Mineral CollectionAcquisition Method
DonationDimensions
Height
1-1/2 inWidth
2 inLength
2-1/2 inWeight
0.14 ozDimension Notes
Dimension taken at widest pointsLocation
Category
PermanentMoved By
Curtis GardnerDate
May 25, 2023Notes
Added current locationLocation
Wall
CenterBuilding
Freida Smith HallCategory
PermanentMoved By
Steve MillerDate
June 18, 2013Location
Drawer
CenterShelf
Bottom, BottomWall
EastHallway
Discovery HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
PermanentMoved By
Steve MillerDate
October 23, 2012Location
Drawer
Center NorthsideShelf
Top north, Top northWall
northHallway
Discovery HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
PermanentMoved By
Lehman R.Date
August 26, 2009Location
Shelf
LeftCabinet
Case # 7Room
Mentzer HallBuilding
Crater Rock MuseumCategory
Permanent
