Covellite Mineral Data

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General Covellite Information

Chemical Formula:

CuS

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 95.61 gm

Copper 66.46 % Cu

Sulfur 33.54 % S

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

CuS

Environment:

Secondary origin in the oxidation zone of sulfide copper deposits.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1832

Locality:

Monte Somma, Vesuvius, Naples, Naples province, Campania, Italy. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after the Italian mineralogist, N. Covelli (1790-1829).

Name Pronunciation:

Covellite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Covelline

ICSD 63327

PDF 6-464

Covellite Image

Images:

Covellite

Comments: Covellite crystal group.
Location: Butte, Montana, USA. Scale: 8 x 4 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Images:

Covellite Nukundamite

Comments: Metallic brownish rim of nukundamite with dark purplish-blue covellite on fine-grained pyrite.
Location: Ronneburg U deposit, Gera district, Thuringia, Germany. Scale: Picture size 7 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Covellite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:4.31012

Cell Dimensions:

a = 3.792, c = 16.344, Z = 6; V = 203.53 Den(Calc)= 4.68

Crystal System:

Hexagonal - Dihexagonal DipyramidalH-M Symbol (6/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: P 6₃/mmc

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.813(1), 1.896(0.75), 3.048(0.65),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 1 0 1) ( 0 0 1)

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Crystal Structure:

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Berry L G , American Mineralogist , 39 (1954) p.504-509, The crystal structure of covellite, CuS and klockmannite, CuSe

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Covellite
[1] [10] [11] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Physical Properties of Covellite

Cleavage:

{0001} Perfect

Color:

Indigo blue, Light blue, Dark blue, Black.

Density:

4.6 - 4.76, Average = 4.68

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.

Habit:

Foliated - Two dimensional platy forms.

Habit:

Platy - Sheet forms (e.g. micas).

Hardness:

1.5-2 - Talc-Gypsum

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

black gray

Optical Properties of Covellite

Dichroism (e):

deep blue.

Dichroism (w):

blackish blue.

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (+), w=1.45, e=2.62, bire=1.1700.

RL Anisotrophism:

Strong.

RL Color:

Indigo-blue, commonly highly iridescent, brass yellow to deep red.

RL Pleochroism:

Marked, deep blue to blue-white.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Covellite in Air**
λ	R₁	R₂	∑ R₁(λ)	∑ R₂(λ)
400 nm	16.60	30.70
420 nm	15.70	29.80
440 nm	14.80	28.90
460 nm	13.70	27.80
480 nm	12.20	26.60
500 nm	10.60	25.10
520 nm	8.80	23.50
540 nm	6.80	21.90
560 nm	5.20	20.40
580 nm	3.80	19.30
600 nm	3.00	19.00
620 nm	3.20	19.50
640 nm	4.60	20.20
660 nm	8.70	20.80
680 nm	15.20	21.40
700 nm	24.20	22.30

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Covellite in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	100%	200%	300%	400%	500%	600%	700%	800%	900%	1000%
R₁
R₂

Calculated Properties of Covellite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=4.41 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Covellite =4.68 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0025153223
Boson Index = 0.9974846777

Photoelectric:

PE_Covellite= 31.55 barns/electron
U=PE_Covellite x rElectron Density= 139.00 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Covellite is Not Radioactive

Covellite Classification

Dana Class:

02.08.12.01 (02)Sulfides - Including Selenides and Tellurides

(02.08)where Am Bn Xp, with (m+n):p=1:1

(02.08.12)Covellite Group

02.08.12.01 Covellite CuS P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

02.08.12.02 Klockmannite CuSe P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

02.CA.05a 02 - SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulf

02.C - Metal Sulfides, M:S = 1:1 (and similar)

02.CA -With Cu

02.CA.05a Covellite CuS P 6₃/mmc 6/m 2/m 2/m

Other Covellite Information

References:

NAME( Sinkankas66) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Covellite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
7 - Glendale Community College
8 - Google Images
9 - Google Scholar
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
11 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
12 - MinDAT
13 - MinMax(Deutsch)
14 - MinMax(English)
15 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
16 - QUT Mineral Atlas
17 - Ruff.Info
18 - Scandinavian mineral gallery
19 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Translate Covellite Mineral Data :

Ask about Covellite here :
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Covellite Specimen Label here :

Covellite

CuS
Dana No: 02.08.12.01 Strunz No: 02.CA.05a
Locality:

Notes: