Mineralpedia Details for Christelite

Named to honor German mineral collector, Christel Gebhard-Giesen. The type locality and only locality for Christelite is at the San Francisco mine in the Antofagasta province of Chile. There, it occurs as a secondary mineral in the oxidized copper-zinc sulfide deposit. Associated minerals include zincian paratacamite, anglesite, hemimorphite, gordaite, and quartz.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/christelite.pdf

Formula

Zn₃Cu₂(SO₄)₂(OH)₆·4H₂O 

Crystal System

Triclinic 

Crystal Habit

Bladed 

Cleavage

Perfect, None, None 

Luster

Vitreous (Glassy) 

Color

greenish blue 

Streak

bright greenish blue 

Class

Triclinic - Pinacoidal 

Hardness

2-3 

WebMineral

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Mindat

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Rich robin's egg blue prismatic or lath-like crystals to 1mm.

Rich, with fine blue, platy crystals to 0.75mm.

Sky blue platy crysta to 3mm with dark green Paratacamite.