COVELLITE



Covellite, a copper sulfide mineral, is rare locally, but has been found at Sterling Hill (Frondel, 1972) and may occur at Franklin as well. Most specimens labeled covellite are mislabeled; indigo-blue tarnishes on other minerals, chiefly bornite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and franklinite, have been mislabeled as covellite. Covellite is indigo-blue, platy with perfect cleavage, very brittle, and is found as microscopic crystals with secondary sulfides and within assemblages of altered sulfides. It has been found with late-stage gypsum from Sterling Hill, and also was found associated with allactite and with the unnamed ferric-iron analogue of hematolite from Sterling Hill (Dunn and Peacor, 1983b). Jenkins and Misiur (1994) reported an occurrence below the 700 level at Sterling Hill. No analytical data exist. (Dunn, 1995)

 Location Found: Ogdensburg
     
 
 Year Discovered: 1832
     
 Formula: CuS
 Essential Elements: Copper, Sulfur
 All Elements in Formula: Copper, Sulfur
     
 IMA Status: Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
     
     
 To find out more about this mineral at minDat's website, follow this link   Covellite

     
 References:
Dunn, Pete J. (1995). Franklin and Sterling Hill New Jersey: the world's most magnificent mineral deposits. Franklin, NJ.: The Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society. p.532

Frondel, Clifford (1972). The minerals of Franklin and Sterling Hill, a checklist. NY.: John Willey & Sons. p.52


The Picking Table References
 PT Issue and PageDescription / Comment
View IssueV. 35, No. 2 - Fall 1994, pg. 21A Complex Base-Metal Assemblage From the Sterling Mine New Jersey - Chalcocite/Digenite/Covellite
View IssueV. 7, No. 2 - August 1966, pg. 8The Minerals of Sterling Hill 1962-65 by Frank Z. Edwards - Covellite (small article)
     
Images

     
Covellite, sphalerite and calcite from Sterling Hill Mine, NJ
Covellite (indigo-blue), sphalerite (pale yellow to olive and tarnished blue) and calcite (white and buff) from Sterling Hill Mine, NJ. 6 1/8" x 3". From the collection of, and photo by Robert A. Boymistruk.







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