Tenorite

Northern Breakthrough (North Breach), Great Fissure (Main Fracture) eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka Oblast', Far-Eastern Region, Russia
© Elmar Lackner

Show Tenorite Photos (16)

Formula:

CuO

System:

Monoclinic

Colour:

Grey, black

Lustre:

Metallic

Hardness:

3½

Name:

Name after Michele Tenore (1780-1861), Professor of Botany, University of Naples and G. Tenore, President of the Naples Academy (Italy).

This page provides mineralogical data about Tenorite.

Classification of Tenorite

IMA status:

Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"

Strunz 8th edition ID:

4/A.05-10

Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:

4.AB.10

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
A : Metal: Oxygen = 2:1 and 1:1
B : M:O = 1:1 (and up to 1:1.25); with small to medium-sized cations only

Dana 7th edition ID:

4.2.3.1

Dana 8th edition ID:

4.2.3.1

4 : SIMPLE OXIDES
2 : AX

Hey's CIM Ref.:

7.3.2

7 : Oxides and Hydroxides
3 : Oxides of Cu

mindat.org URL:

http://www.mindat.org/min-3912.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

Occurrences of Tenorite

Geological Setting:

In the oxidized zone of copper deposits, also as volcanic sublimate.

Physical Properties of Tenorite

Lustre:

Metallic

Diaphaneity (Transparency):

Translucent on thin edges, Opaque

Colour:

Grey, black

Streak:

Black

Hardness (Mohs):

3½

Hardness (Vickers):

VHN₁₀₀=190 - 300 kg/mm²

Tenacity:

Brittle

Cleavage:

Poor/Indistinct
In zones [011] and [011]

Fracture:

Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal

Comment:

Flexible and elastic in thin scales.

Density (measured):

6.45 g/cm³

Density (calculated):

6.515(2) g/cm³

Crystallography of Tenorite

Crystal System:

Monoclinic

Class (H-M):

2/m - Prismatic

Space Group:

B2/b (B1 1 2/b) [C2/c] {C1 2/c 1}

Cell Parameters:

a = 4.6837(5) Å, b = 3.4226(5) Å, c = 5.1288(6) Å
β = 99.47°

Ratio:

a:b:c = 1.368 : 1 : 1.499

Unit Cell Volume:

V 80.63 Å³

Morphology:

Paper-thin twinned aggregates and laths parallel {100} and elongated [011] (Vesuvius); striated [010] on {100}. Curved plates. Thin shining flexible scales. Stellate groups. Earthy, pulverulent.

Twinning:

1. Common on {011}, producing dovetail reentrants and feather-like forms as senn on {100}; also stellate groups and complex dendritic patterns. 2. On {100} ?

Crystal Atlas:

Image Loading

Click on an icon to view

Tenorite no.5 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

Tenorite no.7 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

About Crystal Atlas

You may need to scroll this box using your mouse to view the full instructions.

The mindat.org Crystal Atlas allows you to view a selection of crystal drawings of real and idealised crystal forms for this mineral and, in certain cases, 3d rotating crystal objects. You need Java to see these. You can download Java for free - click here to download Java

The 3d models and java code are kindly provided by www.smorf.nl. You can control the movement of the models by holding down the left mouse-button over the 3d model and moving your mouse. Keyboard controls are:

: default positions

t/T	: decrease/increase transparency	x/X	: next/previous texture
b/B	: next/previous background	w	: toggle wireframe
s	: toggle sticks	m	: toggle miller indices
k	: toggle crystallographic axes	=/-	: zoom in/out
r	: stop/start rotation	1/2/3

Note: You will not be able to switch between different crystal models using the Opera 8.5x web browser due to a bug in Opera - you need to use either Firefox or Internet Explorer 6/7 or Opera 9.

Optical Data of Tenorite

Type:

Anisotropic

Anisotropism:

Strong, blue to grey

Bireflectance:

Strong

Colour in reflected light:

light gray with golden tint

Pleochroism:

Weak

Comments:

Distinct, light to dark brown.

Chemical Properties of Tenorite

Formula:

CuO

Essential elements:

Cu, O

All elements listed in formula:

Cu, O

Relationship of Tenorite to other Species

4.AB.05

Crednerite

CuMnO

4.AB.15

Delafossite

CuFeO

4.AB.15

Mcconnellite

CuCrO

4.AB.20

Bromellite

BeO

4.AB.20

Zincite

(Zn,Mn

,Fe

4.AB.25

Bunsenite

NiO

4.AB.25

Lime

CaO

4.AB.25

Manganosite

MnO

4.AB.25

Monteponite

CdO

4.AB.25

Periclase

MgO

4.AB.25

Wüstite

FeO

4.AB.30

Palladinite

PdO

7.3.1

Cuprite

7.3.3

Paramelaconite

CuCu

7.3.4

Spertiniite

Cu(OH)

7.3.5

Crednerite

CuMnO

7.3.6

Delafossite

CuFeO

7.3.7

Cuprospinel

Other Names for Tenorite

Synonyms:

Black Copper	Black Oxide of Copper	Melaconisa	Melaconise	Melaconite
Schwarzkupfererz

French names:

Cuivre oxydé noir

German names:

Kupferoxyd	Kupferschwärze	Melaconit	Melakonit	Schwarzkupfer
Tenorit

Italian names:

Rame nero

Russian names:

Тенорит

Spanish names:

Varieties:

Other Information

Health Warning:

No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Tenorite

Reference List:

Werner (1789), Bergm. Journal (as Kupferschwärze).

Huot (1841): 326 (as Melaconite).

Semmola (1841), Opere Minori, 45, Napoli.

Semmola (1841-42)Bulletin de la Société française de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie: 13: 206.

Scacchi (1842), Distrib. Sist. Min.: 40, Napoli (as Melacosina)

Dana, System of Mineralogy, 5th ed. (1850): 518.

Church (1865), Cem. News: 11: 122.

Story-Maskelyne (1865), British Assoc., Rep.: 35: 33.

Story-Maskelyne (1866), Rss. Min. Ges. Vh.: 1: 147.

Scacchi (1875), Acc. Napoli, Att.: 6(9): 12.

Tunell, Posnjak, and Ksanda (1935), Zs. Kr.: 90: 120.

Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Seventh edition, Volume I: 507-510.

Zeitschrift für Kristallographie (1970): B26: 8.