How is Conichalcite formed?

Conichalcite forms in the oxidation zones of copper orebodies. Here groundwater enriched with oxygen reacts with copper sulfide and copper oxide to produce an array of minerals such as malachite, azurite and linarite. Conichalcite is often found encrusted on to limonitic rocks that have yellow to red colors.

Is conichalcite rare?

Relatively uncommon but widespread, conichalcite can be found in many minor occurrences, however good specimens can be found in localities in Spain, England, the United States, Mexico, Chile, and Namibia.

What is mineralogy and types of Mineralogy?

Mineralogy is an Earth science focused around the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.

What is an example of Mineralogy?

A mineral is a pure substance with a specific composition and structure, while a rock is typically a mixture of several different minerals (although a few types of rock may include only one type of mineral). Examples of minerals are feldspar, quartz, mica, halite, calcite, and amphibole.

What is Dioptase Crystal?

Dioptase is an extremely rare Copper cyclosilicate mineral that crystallizes in small prismatic shards, as well as inclusions within Quartz. This mineral occurs around other copper bearing minerals such as Chrysocolla, Malachite and Shattuckite. It forms on copper veins that have been exposed to extensive oxidation.

What is a solid solution series?

A series formed when there are intermediary minerals between two isomorphous minerals. An example is the Plagioclase feldspar group, which contains Albite and Anorthite as the end members, and minerals varying in amounts of those two minerals.

What does malachite look like?

Malachite is recognized for its striking green color ranging from pastel green to bright green and ending at the dark green spectrum. The actual gems are found along the surface of underground caves as a Malachite cluster of stalactites and they are cut from these caves in two pieces or slabs.

What are the branches of mineralogy?

Other branches of mineralogy include chemical mineralogy (identifying minerals to determine the chemical composition of the earth’s crust), optical mineralogy (using light to determine the crystal structure of minerals), xray mineralogy (using x-ray diffraction techniques to determine the crystal structure of minerals) …

Who is the father of mineralogy?

Georgius Agricola
Georgius Agricola (1494–1555) was a German Humanist scholar, mineralogist and metallurgist. Georgius Agricola, was born in 1494 as Georg Bauer (the name was later latinized) and is often called the father of mineralogy and metallurgy.

Is dioptase a quartz?

Dioptase is an intense emerald-green to bluish-green copper cyclosilicate mineral. It is transparent to translucent. Its luster is vitreous to sub-adamantine. Its formula is Cu6Si6O18·6H2O (also reported as CuSiO2(OH)2)….

Dioptase
Tenacity Brittle
Mohs scale hardness 5
Luster Vitreous
Streak Green

What is the difference between diopside and dioptase?

As nouns the difference between dioptase and diopside is that dioptase is an intense emerald-green to bluish-green copper cyclosilicate mineral while diopside is (mineral) a monoclinic pyroxene mineral, a magnesium calcium silicate with the chemical formula ca]]mgsi2[[oxygen|o6, found in igneous and metamorphic rocks.

What is a solid solution in mineralogy?