Chalcomenite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Chalcomenite
Formula:
CuSeO3 · 2H2O
Colour:
Intense blue; pale blue in transmitted light.
Lustre:
Vitreous, Sub-Vitreous, Resinous
Hardness:
2 - 2½
Specific Gravity:
3.35
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
From the Greek ÏαλÎșÎżÏ = "copper," and ÎŒÎźÏ
η (for ÏΔλΟÏ
η) = the "moon", where the element selenium is named after the moon.
Type Locality:
Dimorph of:
This page provides mineralogical data about Chalcomenite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
949
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:949:6
IMA Classification of Chalcomenite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
Cu(Se4+O3) · 2H2O
First published:
1881
Classification of Chalcomenite
4.JH.05
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
J : Arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites; iodates
H : Selenites without additional anions, with H2O
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
J : Arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites; iodates
H : Selenites without additional anions, with H2O
Dana 7th ed.:
34.2.2.1
34.2.2.1
34 : SELENITES, TELLURITES AND SULFITES
2 : A(XO3)·xH2O
34 : SELENITES, TELLURITES AND SULFITES
2 : A(XO3)·xH2O
28.1.1
28 : Selenites, Selenates, Tellurites, and Tellurates
1 : Selenites
28 : Selenites, Selenates, Tellurites, and Tellurates
1 : Selenites
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMAâCNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Ccm | IMAâCNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMAâCNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Chalcomenite
Vitreous, Sub-Vitreous, Resinous
Transparency:
Transparent, Translucent
Colour:
Intense blue; pale blue in transmitted light.
Comment:
Green clinochalcomenite is sometimes confused with blue chalcomenite
Hardness:
2 - 2½ on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
None Observed
Fracture:
Conchoidal
Density:
3.35 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.4 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Comment:
Measured value on Hiaco Mine material.
Optical Data of Chalcomenite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.712 nβ = 1.732 nγ = 1.732
Birefringence:
0.020
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.020
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Interference Colours:
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 ”m thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars.
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 ”m thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars.
Surface Relief:
Moderate
Dispersion:
relatively strong
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
X = a = Pale blue
Y = c = Darker blue
Z = b = Darker blue
Y = c = Darker blue
Z = b = Darker blue
Chemistry of Chalcomenite
Mindat Formula:
CuSeO3 · 2H2O
Element Weights:
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Chalcomenite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
2 2 2 - Disphenoidal
Space Group:
P21 21 21
Setting:
P21 21 21
Cell Parameters:
a = 6.671 Å, b = 9.193 Å, c = 7.384 Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.726 : 1 : 0.803
Unit Cell V:
452.83 Ă
Âł (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Crystals minute, acicular [001]. The prismatic faces are often striated or rounded.
Crystal Structure
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0019225 | Chalcomenite | Pasero M, Perchiazzi N (1989) Chalcomenite from Baccu Locci, Sardinia, Italy: mineral data and structure refinement Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie, Monatshefte 1989 551-556 | 1989 | Baccu Locci, Sardinia, Italy | 0 | 293 | |
| 0001528 | Chalcomenite | Robinson P D, Sen Gupta P K, Swihart G H, Houk L (1992) Crystal structure, H positions, and the Se lone pair of synthetic chalcomenite, Cu(H2O)2[SeO3] American Mineralogist 77 834-838 |  | 1992 | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 5.76 Ă | (30) |
| 5.39 Ă | (100) |
| 4.94 Ă | (90) |
| 4.35 Ă | (20) |
| 3.88 Ă | (10) |
| 3.77 Ă | (70) |
| 3.35 Ă | (80) |
| 3.23 Ă | (10) |
| 3.04 Ă | (70) |
| 2.883 Ă | (60) |
| 2.822 Ă | (50) |
| 2.692 Ă | (10) |
| 2.640 Ă | (10) |
| 2.528 Ă | (70) |
| 2.470 Ă | (20) |
| 2.381 Ă | (30) |
| 2.289 Ă | (20) |
| 2.161 Ă | (60) |
| 2.068 Ă | (30) |
| 1.997 Ă | (40) |
| 1.920 Ă | (10) |
| 1.865 Ă | (20) |
| 1.838 Ă | (30) |
| 1.797 Ă | (10) |
| 1.775 Ă | (10) |
| 1.744 Ă | (20) |
| 1.680 Ă | (30) |
| 1.666 Ă | (10) |
| 1.624 Ă | (30) |
| 1.589 Ă | (30) |
| 1.551 Ă | (10) |
| 1.497 Ă | (20) |
| 1.458 Ă | (10b) |
| 1.435 Ă | (10) |
| 1.424 Ă | (10) |
| 1.403 Ă | (10) |
| 1.389 Ă | (10) |
| 1.360 Ă | (10b) |
| 1.335 Ă | (5) |
Comments:
ICDD 17-523 Eagle Shaft, Saskatchewan, Canada
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event | <2.4 |
| 47a : [Near-surface hydration of prior minerals] | |
| 47d : [Arsenates, antimonates, selenates, bismuthinates] |
Geological Setting:
Secondary mineral in Cu-Se bearing deposits
Type Occurrence of Chalcomenite
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
MusĂ©um Nationale dâHistoire Naturelle, Paris, France, 81.14 (type).
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Other Language Names for Chalcomenite
Dutch:Chalcomeniet
German:Chalkomenit
Chalcomenit
Chalcomenit
Japanese:ă«ă«ăłăĄăă€ă
Russian:Đ„Đ°Đ»ŃĐșĐŸĐŒĐ”ĐœĐžŃ
Simplified Chinese:èçĄéçż
Spanish:Calcomenita
Chalcomenita
Chalcomenita
Traditional Chinese:èçĄé
瀊
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 46 photos of Chalcomenite associated with Umangite | Cu3Se2 |
| 25 photos of Chalcomenite associated with KruƄaite | CuSe2 |
| 25 photos of Chalcomenite associated with Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| 23 photos of Chalcomenite associated with Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| 23 photos of Chalcomenite associated with Klockmannite | CuSe |
| 19 photos of Chalcomenite associated with Tyrrellite | Cu(Co,Ni)2Se4 |
| 18 photos of Chalcomenite associated with Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| 18 photos of Chalcomenite associated with Clinochalcomenite | CuSeO3(H2O)2 |
| 16 photos of Chalcomenite associated with Clausthalite | PbSe |
| 16 photos of Chalcomenite associated with Ahlfeldite | Ni(SeO3) · 2H2O |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 4.JH. | Magselite | [Mg(H2O)6](Se4+O3) |
| 4.JH. | Bernardevansite | Al2(SeO3)3 · 6H2O |
| 4.JH.10 | Clinochalcomenite | CuSeO3(H2O)2 |
| 4.JH.10 | Ahlfeldite | Ni(SeO3) · 2H2O |
| 4.JH.10 | Cobaltomenite | CoSeO3 · 2H2O |
| 4.JH.15 | Mandarinoite | Fe3+2(Se4+O3)3 · (6-x)H2O (x = 0.0-1.0) |
| 4.JH.20 | Orlandiite | Pb3(SeO3)(Cl,OH)4 · H2O |
| 4.JH.30 | Nestolaite | CaSeO3 · H2O |
Fluorescence of Chalcomenite
Not fluorescent in UV
Other Information
Notes:
Soluble in acids.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Chalcomenite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-949.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Chalcomenite
Reference List:
Des Cloizeaux, Alfred, Damour, Augustin-Alexis (1881) Sur la chalcoménite, nouvelle espÚce minérale (sélénite de cuivre) Bulletin de Minéralogie, 4 (3) 51-55 doi:10.3406/bulmi.1881.1626
Des Cloizeaux, Alfred, Damour, Augustin-Alexis (1881) Sur la chalcoménite, nouvelle espÚce minérale (sélénite de cuivre) Bulletin de Minéralogie, 4 (3) 51-55 doi:10.3406/bulmi.1881.1626
Larsen, Esper S. (1921) The microscopic determination of the nonopaque minerals. Bulletin 679. US Geological Survey doi:10.3133/b679 p.55
Gattow, G. (1958) Die Kristallstruktur von CuSeO3.2H2O (Chalkomenit). Acta Crystallographica, 11 (6). 377-383 doi:10.1107/s0365110x58001031
Mandarino, J. A. (1964) X-ray powder data for teineite and chalcomenite. American Mineralogist, 49 (9-10) 1481-1485
Effenberger, Herta (1977) Verfeinerung der Kristallstruktur von synthetischem Teineit, CuTeO3·2H2O. TMPM Tschermaks Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen, 24 (4) 287-298 doi:10.1007/bf01081131
Robinson, Paul D., Gupta, P. K. Sen, Swihart, George H., Houk, Larry (1992) Crystal structure, H positions, and the Se lone pair of synthetic chalcomenite, Cu(H2O)2[SeO3]. American Mineralogist, 77 (7-8) 834-838
Frost, Ray L., Keeffe, Eloise C. (2008) Raman spectroscopic study of the selenite minerals - chalcomenite CuSeO3·2H2O, clinochalcomenite and cobaltomenite. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 39 (12). 1789-1793 doi:10.1002/jrs.2036
Frost, Ray L., Reddy, B. Jagannadha, Keeffe, Eloise C. (2008) An Application of near Infrared Spectroscopy to the Study of the Selenite Minerals: Chalcomenite, Clinochalcomenite and Cobaltomenite. Journal of Near Infrared Spectroscopy, 16 (4) 399-407 doi:10.1255/jnirs.808
Localities for Chalcomenite
Showing 52 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
â - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Argentina | |
| Morello (2016) |
| Paar et al. (2004) |
| MĂĄrquez-ZavalĂa et al. (2021) | |
| American Mineralogist (1950) +2 other references |
| Paar et al. (2002) +1 other reference | |
| - (1950) +2 other references | |
| Recursos Minerales de la Republica ... +3 other references | |
| Palache et al. (1951) | |
| Sarp et al. (1987) |
| Grundmann et al. (2018) |
| Des Cloizeaux et al. (1881) +1 other reference |
| Ahlfeld Friedrich and Angelelll ... +2 other references | |
Australia | |
| Nickel (2002) |
Bolivia | |
| Schnorrer-Köhler et al. (1990) +4 other references |
| Hurlbut et al. (1969) +1 other reference |
Canada | |
| Traill (1983) |
| www.ir.gov.sk.ca (n.d.) +1 other reference |
| Traill (1952) | |
| ROBINSON et al. (1952) |
| Collected and analyzed by Gunnar Farber. | |
China | |
| Linbo Yao and Zhenmin Gao (2002) +3 other references |
| Jingxian Li and Jiajun Liu (2014) |
Czech Republic | |
| Sejkora J. et al. (2006) +1 other reference |
| PauliĆĄ P. et al. (Kutna Hora, issue 2) |
DR Congo | |
| Gauthier et al. (1989) +2 other references |
France | |
| Agrinier et al. (1967) |
| Lheur (2016) |
| Boisson et al. (2014) |
Germany | |
| Belendorff (2021) |
| Wittern (2001) |
| Witzke et al. (1998) |
Ireland | |
| Francis et al. (1987) +1 other reference |
| Moreton et al. (1995) | |
Italy | |
| Pasero et al. (1989) +2 other references |
Mexico | |
| Panczner (1987) |
Norway | |
| Pavel M. Kartashov analytical data (2013) |
Spain | |
| Sintes et al. (2025) |
| Calvo Rebollar et al. (2022) |
Sweden | |
| Sandström (2007) |
UK | |
| Golley et al. (1995) |
USA | |
| Roe (1980) |
| Anthony et al. (1995) |
| Adams (2017) |
| MarekC pers. coll. 2017-2018 |
| Kampf et al. (2018) |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Travis Olds collection +1 other reference |
| Self collected by Brent Thorne and EDS ... |
| Marek Chorazewicz (2026) |
| Jensen (1985) +2 other references |
| Collected by and in the collection of ... |
| Thorne (n.d.) |
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Baccu Locci Mine, Villaputzu, South Sardinia Province, Sardinia, Italy