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 was named in 1889 by William F. Hillebrand after the type locality at the Antler Mine, Mohave Co., Arizona, USA. Antlerite has also been found as a secondary mineral in copper deposits as well as a sulfur corrosion product on outdoor bronze and copper sculpture, particularly in urban areas. 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
• 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
• ColourLex: 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