Chalcopyrite
“The golden ore of copper”
Mineral
Chalcopyrite is a brass-yellow copper iron sulfide mineral and the world's most important copper ore. Though it closely resembles gold and pyrite in color, it can be distinguished by its slightly greenish tint and the fact that it tarnishes to an iridescent purple and blue.
Composition
copper iron sulfide (CuFeS₂)
Where Found
Bingham Canyon (Utah, USA), Chuquicamata (Chile), Sudbury Basin (Canada), Zambian Copperbelt
Mohs Hardness
3.5-4
Fun Fact
About 80% of the world's copper comes from chalcopyrite, making this single mineral responsible for most of the copper in your electronics, wiring, and plumbing.
Test Your Knowledge
How can you distinguish chalcopyrite from pyrite and gold in the field?
Related Specimens
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