Description
The mineral cuprite is a copper(I) oxide with the chemical formula Cu2O. The transparent to translucent brownish-red, purple-red, red, or black cuprite has an adamantine luster, a brownish-red streak color, and imperfect cleavage along the crystal plane [111]. The crystal system is cubic. Cuprite has an average density of 6.1, a hardness of 3.5 to 4, and is not radioactive. The mineral's name cuprite is derived from cuprum, the Latin name for its chemical composition; the element copper. Cuprite is a common copper oxide found in a variety of copper-bearing rocks. The type locality of cuprite has not been determined. The mineral is found, among other places, at the Christmas Mine in Gila County, Arizona, United States; at the Tsumeb Mine near Tsumeb, Namibia; and at the Mashamba West Mine in Shaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
