Shattuckite is a

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish ...

silicate

hydroxide Hydroxide is a diatomic anion with chemical formula OH−. It consists of an oxygen and hydrogen atom held together by a single covalent bond, and carries a negative electric charge. It is an important but usually minor constituent of water ...

mineral with formula Cu₅(SiO₃)₄(OH)₂. It crystallizes in the

orthorhombic In crystallography, the orthorhombic crystal system is one of the 7 crystal systems. Orthorhombic lattices result from stretching a cubic lattice along two of its orthogonal pairs by two different factors, resulting in a rectangular prism with ...

– dipyramidal

crystal system In crystallography, a crystal system is a set of point groups (a group of geometric symmetries with at least one fixed point). A lattice system is a set of Bravais lattices. Space groups are classified into crystal systems according to their poi ...

and usually occurs in a granular massive form and also as fibrous acicular crystals. It is closely allied to

plancheite Plancheite is a hydrated copper silicate mineral with the formula Cu8 Si8 O22( OH)4•( H2O). It is closely related to shattuckite in structure and appearance, and the two minerals are often confused. Structure Plancheite is a chain silicate ...

in structure and appearance. Shattuckite is a relatively rare copper silicate mineral. It was first discovered in 1915 in the copper mines of

Bisbee, Arizona Bisbee is a city in and the county seat of Cochise County in southeastern Arizona, United States. It is southeast of Tucson and north of the Mexican border. According to the 2020 census, the population of the town was 4,923, down from 5,575 i ...

, specifically the Shattuck Mine (hence the name). It is a secondary mineral that forms from the alteration of other secondary minerals. At the Shattuck Mine, it forms

pseudomorph In mineralogy, a pseudomorph is a mineral or mineral compound that appears in an atypical form ( crystal system), resulting from a substitution process in which the appearance and dimensions remain constant, but the original mineral is replaced b ...

s after

malachite Malachite is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral, with the formula Cu2CO3(OH)2. This opaque, green-banded mineral crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, and most often forms botryoidal, fibrous, or stalagmitic masses, in fracture ...

. A pseudomorph is an atom by atom replacement of a crystal structure by another crystal structure, but with little alteration of the outward shape of the original crystal. It is sometimes used as a gemstone.

Gallery

File:Malachite-Shattuckite-215586.jpg, Shattuckite with malachite, about 4 cm wide. Kaokoveld Mine,

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and e ...

File:Shattuckite-tuc1072a.jpg, Shattuckite crystals form concentric circular clusters of spraying, elongated, acicular crystals. Associated with them are small bits of contrasting primary malachite crystals in a deep green color File:Shattuckite-k-123a.jpg, Botryoidal balls of shattuckite, from the Kaokoveld Mine, Kaokoveld Plateau,

Kunene Region Kunene is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia. Its capital is Opuwo, its governor is Marius Sheya. The region's name comes from the Kunene River which forms the northern border with Angola. Besides the capital Opuwo, the region contains th ...

, Namibia File:Shattuckite-47277.jpg, Polished shattuckite with malachite, New Cornelia mine,

Ajo, Arizona Ajo ( ) is an unincorporated community in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is the closest community to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The population was 3,304 at the 2010 census. Ajo is located on State Route 85 just from t ...

. Size 5.3×5.1×5.0 cm

References

Copper(II) minerals Inosilicates Orthorhombic minerals Minerals in space group 61 Gemstones {{silicate-mineral-stub