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Chalcopyrite has a golden yellow color, which often resembles Gold. However, its physical properties such as streak and tenacity are very different from Gold and can easily distinguish it. Chalcopyrite is a beautiful mineral and good crystals and specimens are fairly common, leading it to be a very popular mineral. "Peacock Ore" which is sold to many amateur mineral collectors often as a variety of Bornite, is in fact almost always Chalcopyrite that is treated with
acid to produce an iridescent tarnish.
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Chemical Formula |
CuFeS2 |
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Composition |
Copper iron sulfide |
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Color |
Brass yellow to golden yellow; sometimes dark brown to black. Tarnishes to a multicolored purple, blue, and red. |
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Streak |
Black with a slightly green tinge |
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Hardness |
3.5 - 4 |
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Crystal System |
Tetragonal |
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Crystal Forms
and Aggregates |
Crystals resemble tetrahedrons and octahedrons, but they are slightly asymmetrical and therefore are categorized in the tetragonal system. Also occurs massive, grainy, reniform, and as groups of small, distorted crystals. Crystals are commonly striated in different directions on different crystal faces. |
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Transparency |
Opaque |
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Specific Gravity |
4.1 - 4.3 |
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Luster |
Metallic |
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Cleavage |
Indiscernible |
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Fracture |
Uneven |
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Tenacity |
Brittle |
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Other ID Marks |
Tarnishes to an iridescent purple, blue, and red. |
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Complex Tests |
Soluble in nitric acid, tingeing the solution blue |
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In Group |
Simple Sulfides |
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Striking Features |
Low hardness, crystal form, iridescent tarnish, and brittleness |
| Environment |
In the sulfide zones of copper deposits, in hypothermal veins and mesothermal veins, hydrothermal replacement deposits, metamorphic schists, and in igneous intrusions and dikes. |
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Popularity (1-4)
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2 |
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Prevalence (1-3)
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1 |
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Demand (1-3) |
1 |
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- Term used to describe Chalcopyrite or Bornite with a colorful iridescent tarnish effect, which is usually artificially enhanced with acid. Most Peacock Ore is sold as a variety of Bornite, when in fact most Peacock Ore is actually Chalcopyrite.
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Chalcopyrite is the main ore of copper.
Chalcopyrite is sometimes polished into beads and pendants as cheap jewelry.
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Chalcopyrite is a fairly common mineral, and therefore only the finest of localities will be mentioned. Large, well shaped crystals occur in numerous places in Cornwall, England, especially at the Carn Brea area. Baia Sprie (Felsobanya) and Kapnick both in Maramures Co., are famous Romanian occurrences. Very large crystals come from Krushev Dol, in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria. In the Dreislar Mine, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, small Chalcopyrite crystals on white coxcomb Barite occur as an excellent combination with beautiful contrast. In China, large crystals occur at the Yaogangxian Mine, Hunan Province.
Many fine crystals occur in Zacatecas Mexico, noteworthy are Concepción del Oro and San Martín. The Huaron Mine in Cerro del Pasco, Peru is also a classic locality.
In the U.S., the Tri-state district of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri provides the notable localities of Joplin, Jasper Co., Missouri; Picher, Ottawa Co., Oklahoma; and Treece, Cherokee Co., Kansas. The
Sweetwater Mine, Reynolds Co., Missouri produces small sparkling crystals, and as of recent many of these have a natural blue iridescence. Other excellent occurrences are the Gilman District, Eagle Co., Colorado; Ouray, Ouray Co., Colorado; and Ellenville, Ulster Co., New York. The Chimney Rock Quarry in Bound Brook, Somerset Co., New Jersey, has produced unique reniform blobs, and the the French Creek Mine in Chester Co., Pennsylvania has produced huge crystals, many distorted and highly tarnished, which are highly sought after by collectors.
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Pyrite and Marcasite - Paler color, harder (6 - 6½).
Gold - Nonbrittle, much heavier (15.5 - 19.3).
Bornite - Usually darker in color, more tarnish.
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