Atacamita
Atacamita is a mineral with formula Cu₂Cl(OH)₃, in the Haluros group. This specimen comes from Likasi Mine, Likasi, Alto Katanga, República Democrática del Congo (ex-Zaire) and joined the Terrium collection in 1989.
Description
Flat prismatic, bladed aggregates of deep pine-green colour on dark matrix.
History of this specimen
Old label from a previous collection, which I date with high probability to the 1970s–1980s from the Truro 0209 telephone prefix, before "PhONEday 1995". But the attribution of provenance to La Farola does not stand. The piece shares neither matrix, associations nor morphology with the typical material from that mine. It fits much better with documented specimens from Katanga (Democratic Republic of the Congo).
About Atacamita
Atacamite is a copper chlorohydroxide, a basic copper chloride, deep green and with strong vitreous lustre. It commonly occurs as acicular or lamellar crystals, often lining cavities in copper oxide matrices.
About the locality
Likasi Mine is not widely known and is usually outside the usual commercial channels.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0166
- Composition
- Cu₂Cl(OH)₃
- Name
- Atacamita
- Group
- Haluros
- Category
- Cavella
- Matrix
- Tenorita
- Mine
- Likasi Mine
- District / Municipality
- Likasi
- Region
- Alto Katanga
- Country
- República Democrática del Congo (ex-Zaire)
- Size (cm)
- 8.2 x 4.7 x 3.1
- Weight
- 95 g
- Acquired
- 1989
- Ex-collection
- Neil Plummer (Kernowfossils) → Thames Valley Minerals
- Etymology
- From the Atacama Desert, Chile, where it was first identified.
- Quality
- Muy buena
- Value trend
- Al alza
Related specimens
- Atacamita — España
- Atacamita — España
- Atacamita — España
- Atacamita — España
- Barita — España
- Becquerelita — República Democrática del Congo (ex-Zaire)
- Calcita (Cobaltocalcita) — República Democrática del Congo (ex-Zaire)
- Calcita (Cobaltocalcita) — República Democrática del Congo (ex-Zaire)