A Geoscience Digital Image Library
A Geoscience Digital Image Library
| Title | Covellite, idaite and pyrite from Butte, Montana |
|---|---|
| Description | This specimen, 11 cm across, contains primarily (metallic indigo color) covellite (copper sulfide, CuS), (dark coppery brown-black color) idaite (copper iron sulfide, Cu5FeS6), and (gold color) pyrite (iron sulfide, FeS2). Covellite may be bright metallic indigo when fresh, but it quickly tarnishes and darkens when exposed to air. Spectacular samples show irredescence between various shades of violet, blue, yellow and red. In this specimen the covellite is mixed with the dark colored idaite; the two minerals are hard to distinguish from each other. This is a sample of copper ore from the well known mining district at Butte, Montana. |
| Location | USA ▹ Montana. Near Butte. |
| Photographer | Darla Sondrol. 2001-07-10. |
| Collection | University of North Dakota Mineralogy Collection #207. |
| Key words | covellite, idaite, pyrite, Montana |
| Tech details | 847 KB. Hand specimen. Fujifilm FinePix S1Pro digital camera; 60mm AF Nikon micro lens. |
| GeoDIL number | 1106 |
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