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Covellite

A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
This page kindly sponsored by Mark Kucera
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About CovelliteHide

Formula:
CuS
"Extended" formula is Cu+4Cu2+2(S2)2S2 (Goble, 1985).
Colour:
Indigo-blue or darker, inclining towards blue-black, often iridescent with purplish, deep red, and brassy-yellow reflections.
Lustre:
Sub-Metallic
Hardness:
1½ - 2
Specific Gravity:
4.6 - 4.76
Crystal System:
Hexagonal
Name:
Named in 1832 by Francois Sulpice Beudant in honor of Niccolo Covelli (January 20, 1790, Cajazzo, Italy - November 15, 1829), an Italian mineralogist and discoverer of the mineral at Mount Vesuvius.
Usually as indigo-blue massive metallic material, sometimes with crystals on exposed surfaces (those often spheroidal). Good crystals extremely rare.

A possible precursor mineral is known: 'Unnamed (Covellite-like Mineral)'.

Covellite is almost certainly NOT cupric (Cu(II)) sulfide. Goble (1985) has suggested the "extended" formula being Cu+4Cu2+2(S2)2S2. However, later studies (Liang & Whangbo, 1993) show, that this compound contains monovalent Cu atoms exclusively and the actual formula is most likely (Cu+)3(S2-)(S2)-.

Compare UM2003-44-S:CuPdPt.




Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
1144
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:1144:6
GUID
(UUID V4):
4e3c8cad-61bb-4cc2-bc72-032ad6b3a627

IMA Classification of CovelliteHide

Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)

Classification of CovelliteHide

2.CA.05a

2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
C : Metal Sulfides, M: S = 1: 1 (and similar)
A : With Cu
Dana 7th ed.:
2.8.12.1
2.8.12.1

2 : SULFIDES
8 : AmXp, with m:p = 1:1
3.1.8

3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
1 : Sulphides etc. of Cu

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.

SymbolSourceReference
CvIMA–CNMNCWarr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43
CvKretz (1983)Kretz, R. (1983) Symbols of rock-forming minerals. American Mineralogist, 68, 277–279.
CvSiivolam & Schmid (2007)Siivolam, J. and Schmid, R. (2007) Recommendations by the IUGS Subcommission on the Systematics of Metamorphic Rocks: List of mineral abbreviations. Web-version 01.02.07. IUGS Commission on the Systematics in Petrology. download
CvWhitney & Evans (2010)Whitney, D.L. and Evans, B.W. (2010) Abbreviations for names of rock-forming minerals. American Mineralogist, 95, 185–187 doi:10.2138/am.2010.3371
CvThe Canadian Mineralogist (2019)The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download

Physical Properties of CovelliteHide

Sub-Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Colour:
Indigo-blue or darker, inclining towards blue-black, often iridescent with purplish, deep red, and brassy-yellow reflections.
Streak:
Shiny metallic, lead-grey to black
Hardness:
1½ - 2 on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN100=128 - 138 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Hardness Data:
Measured
Tenacity:
Flexible
Cleavage:
Perfect
Perfect on {0001}.
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven, Hackly
Density:
4.6 - 4.76 g/cm3 (Measured)    4.602 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of CovelliteHide

Type:
Uniaxial (+)
RI values:
nω = 1.450 nε = 2.620
Max Birefringence:
δ = 1.170
Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
Very High
Anisotropism:
Strong
Dispersion:
Strong
Reflectivity:
WavelengthR1R2
400nm14.5%32.0%
420nm14.7%31.5%
440nm14.3%30.3%
460nm13.3%29.0%
480nm11.7%27.6%
500nm10.1%26.2%
520nm8.5%24.7%
540nm6.9%23.4%
560nm5.5%22.1%
580nm4.2%21.1%
600nm3.3%21.1%
620nm3.3%21.6%
640nm4.9%22.3%
660nm9.8%22.7%
680nm16.4%22.6%
700nm24.9%22.4%

Reflectance graph
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Top of box is 100%. Peak reflectance is 32.0%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
Deep blue to blue-white

Chemistry of CovelliteHide

Mindat Formula:
CuS

"Extended" formula is Cu+4Cu2+2(S2)2S2 (Goble, 1985).
Common Impurities:
Fe,Se,Ag,Pb

Crystallography of CovelliteHide

Crystal System:
Hexagonal
Class (H-M):
6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) - Dihexagonal Dipyramidal
Space Group:
P63/mmc
Cell Parameters:
a = 3.7938 Å, c = 16.341 Å
Ratio:
a:c = 1 : 4.307
Unit Cell V:
203.7 ų
Z:
6
Morphology:
Hexagonal plates {001}, with pyramidal faces striated horizontally and hexagonal striations on the base. Common forms: {001}, {104}, {103}, {308}, {102}, {9/0/16}, {5.08}, {101} and {201}. Less common to rare: {1.0.16}, {1.0.12}, {3.0.32}, {108}, {106}, {3.0.16}, {105}, {205}, {203}, {304}, {15.0.16} and {908}.
Twinning:
None reported.

Crystallographic forms of CovelliteHide

Crystal Atlas:
Image Loading
Click on an icon to view
Covellite - Tabular {001}
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by www.smorf.nl.

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Crystal StructureHide

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IDSpeciesReferenceLinkYearLocalityPressure (GPa)Temp (K)
0000065CovelliteBerry L G (1954) The crystal structure of covellite, CuS and klockmannite, CuSe American Mineralogist 39 504-5091954Leonard mine, Butte, Montana, USA0293
0000534CovelliteEvans H T, Konnert J A (1976) Crystal structure refinement of covellite American Mineralogist 61 996-10001976Summitville, Colorado0293
0017675CovelliteOftedal I (1932) Die Kristallstruktur des Covellins CuS Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 83 9-251932Sardinia, Italy0293
0010940CovelliteTakeuchi Y, Kudoh Y, Sato G (1985) The crystal structure of covellite CuS under high pressure up to 33 kbar Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 173 119-1281985Kosaka mine, Akita Prefecture, Japan0.1293
0010941CovelliteTakeuchi Y, Kudoh Y, Sato G (1985) The crystal structure of covellite CuS under high pressure up to 33 kbar Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 173 119-1281985Kosaka mine, Akita Prefecture, Japan1.2293
0010942CovelliteTakeuchi Y, Kudoh Y, Sato G (1985) The crystal structure of covellite CuS under high pressure up to 33 kbar Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 173 119-1281985Kosaka mine, Akita Prefecture, Japan1.8293
0010943CovelliteTakeuchi Y, Kudoh Y, Sato G (1985) The crystal structure of covellite CuS under high pressure up to 33 kbar Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 173 119-1281985Kosaka mine, Akita Prefecture, Japan2.1293
0010944CovelliteTakeuchi Y, Kudoh Y, Sato G (1985) The crystal structure of covellite CuS under high pressure up to 33 kbar Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 173 119-1281985Kosaka mine, Akita Prefecture, Japan3.3293
0010979CovelliteFjellvag H, Gronvold F, Stolen S, Andresen A F, Mueller-Kaefer R, Simon A (1988) Low-temperature structural distortion in CuS Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 184 111-1211988synthetic0293
0010980CovelliteFjellvag H, Gronvold F, Stolen S, Andresen A F, Mueller-Kaefer R, Simon A (1988) Low-temperature structural distortion in CuS Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 184 111-1211988synthetic0293
0010981CovelliteFjellvag H, Gronvold F, Stolen S, Andresen A F, Mueller-Kaefer R, Simon A (1988) Low-temperature structural distortion in CuS Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 184 111-1211988synthetic0293
0017645CovelliteRoberts H, Ksanda C (1929) The Crystal Structure of Covellite _cod_database_code 1010920 American Journal of Science 17 489-50319290293
0014418CovelliteOhmasa M, Suzuki M, Takeuchi Y (1977) A refinement of the crystal structure of covellite, CuS Mineralogical Journal 8 311-3191977Kosaka mine, Akita Prefecture, Japan0293
0015657CovelliteKalbskopf R, Pertlik F, Zemann J (1975) Verfeinerung der kristallstruktur des covellins, CuS, mit einkristalldaten Tschermaks Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen 22 242-24919750293
CIF Raw Data - click here to close

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Image Loading

Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacingIntensity
8.18 Å(8)
3.285 Å(14)
3.22 Å(30)
3.048 Å(65)
2.813 Å(100)
2.724 Å(55)
2.317 Å(10)
2.097 Å(6)
2.043 Å(8)
1.902 Å(25)
1.896 Å(75)
1.735 Å(35)
1.634 Å(4)
1.609 Å(8)
1.572 Å(16)
1.556 Å(35)
1.463 Å(6)
1.390 Å(6)
1.354 Å(8)
1.343 Å(6)
1.280 Å(10)
1.227 Å(6)
1.210 Å(10)
1.0998 Å(8)
1.0946 Å(10)
Comments:
ICDD 6-464 (synthetic).

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic ModeEarliest Age (Ga)
Stage 2: Planetesimal differentiation and alteration4.566-4.550
6 : Secondary asteroid phases4.566-4.560
Stage 3b: Earth’s earliest hydrosphere>4.45
12 : Hadean hydrothermal subsurface sulfide deposits (see also #33)
15 : Black/white smoker minerals and other seafloor hydrothermal minerals
High-𝑇 alteration and/or metamorphism
33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12])
Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event<2.4
47h : [Near-surface oxidized, dehydrated minerals]
Stage 10a: Neoproterozoic oxygenation/terrestrial biosphere<0.6
50 : Coal and/or oil shale minerals<0.36
53 : Other minerals with taphonomic origins<0.4
Stage 10b: Anthropogenic minerals<10 Ka
54 : Coal and other mine fire minerals (see also #51 and #56)
Geological Setting:
Usually found as a secondary copper mineral in copper deposits, more rarely as a primary mineral of such deposits, and only very rarely as a volcanic sublimate (such as at Mount Vesuvius.)

Type Occurrence of CovelliteHide

Geological Setting of Type Material:
Igneous extrusive, as a volcanic sublimate on Mount Vesuvius.

Synonyms of CovelliteHide

Other Language Names for CovelliteHide

Varieties of CovelliteHide

Selenium-bearing Covellite
Silver-bearing CovelliteA silver-bearing variety of covellite.

Common AssociatesHide

Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
386 photos of Covellite associated with ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
349 photos of Covellite associated with PyriteFeS2
304 photos of Covellite associated with QuartzSiO2
152 photos of Covellite associated with BorniteCu5FeS4
138 photos of Covellite associated with MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
112 photos of Covellite associated with ChalcociteCu2S
66 photos of Covellite associated with CalciteCaCO3
63 photos of Covellite associated with AnglesitePbSO4
62 photos of Covellite associated with EnargiteCu3AsS4
59 photos of Covellite associated with GalenaPbS

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

2.CA.05bKlockmanniteCuSeHex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P63/mmc
2.CA.05cSpionkopiteCu39S28Hex. 6 2 2
2.CA.05dYarrowiteCu9S8Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3m1
2.CA.10NukundamiteCu3.33Fe0.66S4Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : P3m1
2.CA.15CalvertiteCu5Ge0.5S4Iso. 4 3m : F4 3m
2.CA.20ErazoiteCu4SnS6Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3m
2.CA.25GrokhovskyiteCuCrS2Trig. 3m : R3m

Other InformationHide

Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses:
An ore of copper, sometimes of major importance but more typically a lesser one.

Covellite in petrologyHide

An essential component of rock names highlighted in red, an accessory component in rock names highlighted in green.

Internet Links for CovelliteHide

References for CovelliteHide

Reference List:

Localities for CovelliteHide

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Locality ListShow

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