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Download hereGENERAL DESCRIPTION
Atacamite is a hydrated chloride of copper that is formed in the oxidation zones of copper deposits, located in the arid areas. It is a mineral typical of the dry climate that forms in the vicinity of the sea or lagoons rich with evaporites. One also finds it near the "black smokers" located in the deep oceanic floors or in weathering on the ancient objects made of copper and bronze. It constituted an important copper ore at last century in the mines of Atacama (Chile).
Atacamite is presented in the form of prismatic crystals, striated with colour clear green to dark green, associated other copper minerals such as malachite, boleite, paratacamite or cuprite.
Except the desert of Atacama in Chile, one finds atacamite in Italy, Australia, Germany and in Greece. In France, it is present in the cupriferous lodging of Cape the Garonne in the Var, in Daluis (Alpes-Maritimes), close to Ghisoni (Corsica), like in the Bas-Rhin (Triembach-la-Vallée).
The type of this species is kept at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris. This original material, brought back voyage of the French explorer J Dombey (1742-1794) is preserved in a bottle out of glass n° 5.98 with the name "cuivre muriaté of Peru".
Did you know? Formerly, it was used, before the appearance of the blotters, as the atacamite powder dries ink. It was imported from Chile for this use.
HISTORY : Named to recall its type-locality : the Atacama desert
Species described in 1801 by D. de Gallitzin. The species was already known and named since the end of the XVIIIth century from samples brought back from Peru by the French explorer Dombey
Type-locality: Atacama desert, north of Chile
ANCIENT NAME : Cuivre muriaté, sable vert cuivreux du Pérou
CHEMICAL FORMULA : Cu2 Cl (OH)3
CRYSTAL SYSTEM : Orthorhombic
COLOR : Green to dark green
DIAPHANIETY : Transparent to translucent
LUSTER : Adamantine to vitreous
STREAK : Light green
MORPHOLOGIE : Prismatic crystals, fibrous massive. Twins possible
HARDNESS : 3,0-3,5
CHEMICAL CLASS: 3,756
DENSITY : III - Halogenides
GROUP : Atacamite
STRUNZ CLASS BEFORE 2001 : 3/A.09-20
STRUNZ CLASS AFTER 2001 : 3.DA.10
