tyrolite
Also known as Kupferschaum
Tyrolite is a hydrous calcium copper arsenate carbonate mineral with the formula CaCu5(AsO4)2CO3(OH)4⋅6H2O. Tyrolite forms glassy, blue to green orthorhombic radial crystals and botryoidal masses. It has a Mohs hardness of 1.5–2.0 and a specific gravity of 3.1–3.2. It is translucent with refractive indices of nα = 1.694, nβ = 1.726, and nγ = 1.730.
Key facts
- Mineral.name
- Tyrolite
- Mineral.image
- Tyrolite-256893.jpg
- Mineral.imagesize
- 260px
- Mineral.category
- Arsenate and carbonate minerals
- Mineral.IMAsymbol
- Tyl
- Mineral.strunz
- 8.DM.10
- Mineral.system
- Orthorhombic
- Mineral.class
- Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol)
- Mineral.symmetry
- P2/c (no. 13) or C2/c (no. 15)
- Mineral.color
- Blue to green
- Mineral.habit
- Radial or botryoidal
- Mineral.mohs
- 1.5–2.0
- Mineral.luster
Article
1 sectionsContents
- References
Tyrolite is a hydrous calcium copper arsenate carbonate mineral with the formula CaCu5(AsO4)2CO3(OH)4⋅6H2O. Tyrolite forms glassy, blue to green orthorhombic radial crystals and botryoidal masses. It has a Mohs hardness of 1.5–2.0 and a specific gravity of 3.1–3.2. It is translucent with refractive indices of nα = 1.694, nβ = 1.726, and nγ = 1.730.
It is a secondary mineral formed by the weathering of associated copper and arsenic minerals. It was first described in 1845 for an occurrence in Schwaz, Tyrol, Austria.