Bornite with Malachite, Allanite(?)

Availability

Sold

Size

9 x 7 x 4 cm - Sm Cabinet 

Formula

Cu₅FeS₄ (RRUFF)

Locality

Tennant Creek, Tennant Inlier, Northern Territory, Australia

Tagged

sulfide , copper

Here's an old specimen which has been passed down through the ages as a misidentified Atacamite (See prov. tab with three old labels). I was suspicious after I took the photos and saw the acicular crystals, which is not a typical habit of Atacamite. Sure enough the HCl fizz test proved to be Malachite. The Mindat locality list doesn't include Atacamite from this locality, but does include Malachite, which is one of the few secondary minerals from this locality. The Bornite occurs as veinlets 1- 4mm wide or long in a siliceous hematite or Tenorite matrix. I found one small black, tabular crystal about 1mm in size which may be the 'allanite' on the Mindat list. I didn't see any evidence of the type locality minerals Proudite or Pekoite, the bismuth - selenium minerals. It's a neat specimen originally in the Don Phillips collection and obtained by McConlogue prior to me getting Phillip's collection.

Antique Specimen