Information about Chalcophanite

Appearance

A secondary manganese mineral which forms due to surface level alteration of zinc and manganese ores.

Uses and History

No particular industrial uses, as it is a reasonably rare mineral. Primarily sought after by mineral collectors for its unusual appearance and properties.

May be used to help geologists understand the processes of forming oxidised zones in Zn/Mn deposits.

It was named in 1875 by Gideon Emmet Moore from the Greek ‘chalkos’ and ‘phainestai’, meaning ‘brass’ and ‘to appear’ respectively. This is due to an unusual quirk of the mineral – it will turn a brassy copper colour when heated.

Mineralogy

Hazards and Warnings

Should be relatively safe to handle, but cutting is a different story; airborne zinc dust can cause heavy metal toxicity.

Mineral collectors should wash their hands after handling specimens, to avoid any exposure to potential toxins.

Almost all rocks, minerals (and, frankly, almost all other substances on earth) can produce toxic dust when cutting, which can cause serious respiratory conditions including silicosis. When cutting or polishing rocks, minerals, shells, etc, all work should be done wet to minimise the dust, and a suitable respirator or extraction system should be used.

Translations

Further Reading / External Links

• https://www.mindat.org/min-947.html
• http://webmineral.com/data/Chalcophanite.shtml
• https://museum.wales/mineralogy-of-wales/database/?mineral=180&name=Chalcophanite
• https://handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/chalcophanite.pdf