Antlerite

Antlerite; creidt: RRUFF

Description

An uncommon mineral composed of dibasic copper sulfate. Antlerite is an emerald green to blackish-green color and is found in the oxidized zones of copper deposits of Arizona and Chile. It has also been identified as a corrosion product on outdoor bronze and copper sculpture. Though similar in color to Malachite and Brochantite, antlerite does not effervesce in contact with acid.

Synonyms and Related Terms

antlerita (Esp.); antierite (Port.); Antlerit (Deut.); antleriet (Ned.)

FTIR (PMA)

IR-ATR (RRUFF)

Raman (RRUFF)

Physical and Chemical Properties

• Composition = Cu3(OH)4SO4
• Mohs Hardness = 3.5-4.0
• Density = 3.88 g/ml
• Refractive Index = 1.72-1.78
• Crystal system = orthorhombic bipyramidal
• Cleavage = unidirectional
• Fracture = uneven
• Luster = vitreous
• Streak=pale green

Resources and Citations

• Mindat.org: antlerite
• Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
• Wikipedia: Antlerite (Accessed Mar. 20, 2006 and Mar. 2025)
• Thomas Gregory, The Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Reinhold Publishing, New York, 3rd ed., 1942
• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996