Shattuckite

Infobox mineral
name = Shattuckite
category =
boxwidth =
boxbgcolor =


caption =
formula = Cu₅(SiO₃)₄(OH)₂
molweight =
color = Dark and light blue, turqoise
habit =
system =
twinning =
cleavage = perfect in two directions.
fracture = uneven
mohs = 3.5
luster = Dull to vitreous
refractive =
opticalprop = translucent to opaque
birefringence =
pleochroism =
streak = Blue
gravity = approximately 4.1 (rather heavy for a non-metallic mineral)
melt =
fusibility =
diagnostic =
solubility =
diaphaneity =
other =

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.

References

* [http://webmineral.com/data/Shattuckite.shtml Webmineral data]
* [http://www.mindat.org/min-3634.html Mindat with location data]
* [http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/shattuckite.pdf Mineral Data Publishing]