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Formula: Cu2(PO4)(OH)
Anhydrous phosphate containing hydroxyl
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 3.97 measured, 3.972 calculated
Hardness: 4
Streak: Light green
Colour: Light to dark green, blackish green, olive-green; bluish green to light green in transmitted light.
Solubility: Easily soluble in acids and ammonia
Common impurities: As
Environments:
Libethenite is a secondary mineral in the oxidised zone of
copper deposits, associated with malachite,
azurite, pyromorphite,
(Dana) pseudomalachite and
chrysocolla
(HOM).
The phosphate is often derived from the weathering of apatite and other rock-forming
phosphates such as monazite and xenotime. A rare case
of probable primary
libethenite from a greisen deposit has been reported
(Mindat).
Localities
At Block 14, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, libethenite is associated with
corkite-hinsdalite,
tsumebite and
pyromorphite, and more rarely with
sampleite and torbernite. At a deeper level it is
associated with dufrénite, strengite and
beraunite, as well as
corkite-hinsdalite
(AJM 3.1.47-50).
At the Kintore cut, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, libethenite is a late-forming mineral in
quartzite associated with
corkite-hinsdalite. Mineral assemblages here usually
include libethenite - pseudomalachite -
azurite and libethenite - pyromorphite
- hemimorphite - sampleite
(AJM 3.1.47-50)
At Desolation prospect, Cloncurry, Cloncurry Shire, Queensland, Australia, libethenite is always associated with
malachite and chrysocolla, and
sometimes with
pseudomalachite
(AJM 17.2.85).
At the Mount Kelly deposit, Gunpowder District, Queensland, Australia, the copper
ores overlie primary zone mineralisation consisting of
quartz-dolomite-sulphide veins hosted
in siltstone and schist.
Libethenite is rare, as olive-green coatings with hematite and
pyrite oxidising to jarosite on
siltstone
(AJM 22.1.23).
At the type locality, the Podlipa deposit, Ľubietová, Slovakia, libethenite occurs in a polymetallic hydrothermal
ore deposit associated with malachite
(Mindat).
At the Old Reliable Mine, Copper Creek, Bunker Hill District, Pinal county, Arizona, USA, libethenite is common in clusters to
several mm across and as single crystals to about 0.5 mm. It is found growing on muscovite variety
sericite or
chrysocolla that commonly line cavities. It is sometimes found with
pseudomalachite, but is more often the only phosphate mineral in the cavity
(R&M 96.2.154).
At the Chino mine, Grant county, New Mexico, USA, libethenite occurs in the oxidised portion of the orebody
associated with
pseudomalachite, apatite and
chrysocolla
(R&M 84.6.498).
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