Mineralpedia Details for Luetheite

Named in honor of Ronald D. Luethe who was a Geologist for the Phelps-Dodge Corporation in Arizona and was the first to find the mineral. Luetheite is a rare mineral that occurs only in the United States in Arizona at its type locality in the Patagonia district and in one other unnamed prospect, and in Arizona at the Majuba Hill mine. A third locality lies in Australia at Bali Lo in the Ashburton Downs in Western Australia. Luetheite occurs in intensely altered volcanic rock as cavity fillings and in oxidized copper deposits.

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

Formula

Cu₂Al₂(AsO₄)₂(OH)₄·H₂O 

Crystal System

Monoclinic 

Cleavage

Distinct, None, None 

Color

blue, greenish, light green 

Class

Monoclinic - Prismatic 

Fracture

Brittle 

Hardness

3 

WebMineral

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Mindat

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Robins egg blue platy crystal clusters to about 0.75mm across on matrix.