Eriochalcite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Eriochalcite
Formula:
CuCl2 · 2H2O
Colour:
Bluish green, greenish blue, yellowish tint at times.
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
2½
Specific Gravity:
2.47
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
From the Greek έριου, wool, and χαλκός, copper, in allusion to the form of aggregation of the original Vesuvius material.
A secondary, water-soluble mineral.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
1398
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:1398:3
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
b18c4cd4-25cb-4ce7-8ae0-fe266f27c16b
IMA Classification of Eriochalcite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
First published:
1870
Classification of Eriochalcite
3.BB.05
3 : HALIDES
B : Simple halides, with H2O
B : M:X = 1:2
3 : HALIDES
B : Simple halides, with H2O
B : M:X = 1:2
9.2.8.1
9 : NORMAL HALIDES
2 : AX2
9 : NORMAL HALIDES
2 : AX2
8.2.3
8 : Halides - Fluorides, Chlorides, Bromides and Iodides; also Fluoborates and Fluosilicates
2 : Halides of Cu
8 : Halides - Fluorides, Chlorides, Bromides and Iodides; also Fluoborates and Fluosilicates
2 : Halides of Cu
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Symbol | Source | Reference |
---|---|---|
Ech | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Pronunciation of Eriochalcite
Pronunciation:
Play | Recorded by | Country |
---|---|---|
Jolyon Ralph | United Kingdom |
Physical Properties of Eriochalcite
Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent
Colour:
Bluish green, greenish blue, yellowish tint at times.
Hardness:
2½ on Mohs scale
Cleavage:
Perfect
On {110} perfect; on {001} good.
On {110} perfect; on {001} good.
Fracture:
Conchoidal
Density:
2.47 g/cm3 (Measured) 2.55 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Eriochalcite
Type:
Biaxial (+)
RI values:
nα = 1.646 nβ = 1.685 nγ = 1.745
2V:
Measured: 75° , Calculated: 82°
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.099
Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
High
Dispersion:
weak
Chemistry of Eriochalcite
Mindat Formula:
CuCl2 · 2H2O
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Eriochalcite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Space Group:
Pmna
Setting:
Pmna
Cell Parameters:
a = 8.047 Å, b = 3.725 Å, c = 7.376 Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 2.16 : 1 : 1.98
Unit Cell V:
221.10 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
2
Morphology:
Lichen-like aggregates of crystals elongated [01]. The center of these aggregates is occupied by small, deeply grooved spire-like cvrystals, often bent or entirely recurved as with gypsum "flowers"; wool-like aggregates.
Twinning:
On {021}, as nearly rectangular penetration twins.
Comment:
Also given as (Pbmn setting): a = 7.38, b = 8.04, c = 3.72 A.
Crystal Structure
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0017922 | Eriochalcite | Harker D (1936) The Crystal Structure of Cupric Chloride Dihydrate Cu Cl2 (H2 O)2 _cod_database_code 1011014 Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 93 136-145 | 1936 | 0 | 293 | ||
0010555 | Eriochalcite | MacGillavry C H, Bijvoet J M (1936) Die kristallstruktur der cadmium-und quecksilber-diammin-dihalogenide Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 94 231-245 | 1936 | synthetic | 0 | 293 | |
0010986 | Eriochalcite | Brownstein S, Han N F, Gabe E, LePage Y (1989) A redetermination of the crystal structure of cupric chloride dihydrate Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 189 13-15 | 1989 | synthetic | 0 | 293 | |
0016637 | Eriochalcite | Peterson S, Levy H (1957) Proton positions in Cu Cl2 (H2 O)2 by neutron diffraction _cod_database_code 1008760 Journal of Chemical Physics 26 220-221 | 1957 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacing | Intensity |
---|---|
5.476 Å | (100) |
4.050 Å | (56) |
3.093 Å | (40) |
2.638 Å | (82) |
2.2088 Å | (29) |
2.0240 Å | (22) |
1.6048 Å | (23) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
---|---|
Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event | <2.4 |
45b : [Other oxidized fumarolic minerals] | |
47a : [Near-surface hydration of prior minerals] | |
47g : [Halogen-bearing surface weathering minerals] | |
Stage 10b: Anthropogenic minerals | <10 Ka |
55 : Anthropogenic mine minerals |
Type Occurrence of Eriochalcite
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, 97927.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Active volcanic fumaroles.
Reference:
Scacchi, A. (1870) Dell'eriocalco e del melanotallo, nuove specie di minerali. Rendiconto dell'Accademia delle Scienze Fisiche e Matematiche (sezione della Societa reale di Napoli): 9: 86-89.
Synonyms of Eriochalcite
Other Language Names for Eriochalcite
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
4 photos of Eriochalcite associated with Amarantite | Fe3+2(SO4)2O · 7H2O |
4 photos of Eriochalcite associated with Chalcanthite | CuSO4 · 5H2O |
3 photos of Eriochalcite associated with Riotintoite | Al(SO4)(OH) · 3H2O |
2 photos of Eriochalcite associated with Klyuchevskite | K3Cu3(Fe3+,Al)(SO4)4O2 |
2 photos of Eriochalcite associated with Chalcocyanite | CuSO4 |
2 photos of Eriochalcite associated with Bandylite | Cu[B(OH)4]Cl |
2 photos of Eriochalcite associated with Vendidaite | Al2(SO4)(OH)3Cl · 6H2O |
1 photo of Eriochalcite associated with Belloite | Cu(OH)Cl |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
3.BB.10 | Rokühnite | FeCl2 · 2H2O |
3.BB.15 | Bischofite | MgCl2 · 6H2O |
3.BB.20 | Nickelbischofite | NiCl2 · 6H2O |
3.BB.25 | Sinjarite | CaCl2 · 2H2O |
3.BB.30 | Antarcticite | CaCl2 · 6H2O |
3.BB.35 | Aravaipaite | Pb3AlF9 · H2O |
3.BB.35 | Tachyhydrite | CaMg2Cl6 · 12H2O |
3.BB.40 | Ghiaraite | CaCl2 · 4H2O |
Other Information
Notes:
Readily soluble in water to a pale blue solution and in NH4OH to an intense blue solution.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Eriochalcite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-1398.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Eriochalcite
Reference List:
Scacchi (1884) Reale accademia delle scienze fisische e matematiche, Naples: 23: 158. (as eriocalco)
Palache, Charles, Foshag, W. F. (1938) Antofagastite and bandylite, two new copper minerals from Chile. American Mineralogist, 23 (2) 85-90 (as antofagastite)
Frondel, Clifford (1950) On paratacamite and some related copper chlorides. Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society, 29 (208) 34-45 doi:10.1180/minmag.1950.029.208.06
Localities for Eriochalcite
Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
Struck out - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality.
Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Atlantic Ocean | |
| Gablina et al. (2018) |
Australia | |
| Noble R.J. +1 other reference |
| |
Austria | |
| Bojar (1993) |
Chile | |
Clark (1993) | |
| Malcherek et al. (2010) |
| 45 +1 other reference |
Hungary | |
| Sánoor Szakáll et al. (1997) |
Iran | |
| Khorasanipour et al. (2011) +1 other reference |
Italy (TL) | |
| Palache et al. (1951) |
Pelloux (1927) +2 other references | |
Peru | |
| Diaby et al. (2006) |
Poland | |
| Łukasz Kruszewski PXRD & EPMA data (2019) |
| Ł. Kruszewski PXRD data |
Russia | |
| Diederik Visser List #39 |
Pekov (1998) | |
| Pekov et al. (2015) |
| Sharygin et al. (2018) |
USA | |
| Grant et al. (2005) |
| Castor et al. (2004) |
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La Vendida Mine, Sierra Gorda, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta, Chile