Bornite (Cu₅FeS₄) is one of the most vivid copper sulfides and a major copper ore. Fresh surfaces show a bronze-pink metallic color, but the mineral rapidly tarnishes to vivid iridescent purple, blue, and gold — the famous "peacock ore" effect treasured by collectors.
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Bornite (Cu₅FeS₄) is one of the most vivid copper sulfides and a major copper ore. Fresh surfaces show a bronze-pink metallic color, but the mineral rapidly tarnishes to vivid iridescent purple, blue, and gold — the famous “peacock ore” effect treasured by collectors. It is closely associated with chalcopyrite in porphyry copper deposits and frequently forms exsolution intergrowths with it.
Dexing Copper Mine (Jiangxi) and Daye District (Hubei) produce bornite as porphyry-copper byproducts. Tongling (Anhui) hosts smaller but high-iridescence specimens.
Your specimen will scratch: 👆 Talc dust (Mohs 1) · 💅 Fingernail (Mohs 2.5)
Always test on an inconspicuous edge first. Save the test for unimportant specimens — better to use a streak plate or knowledge of locality + paragenesis.
Cite this entry
APA
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. (2026). Bornite. My Mineral Box. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/bornite/
MLA
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. "Bornite." My Mineral Box, 2026, https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/bornite/. Accessed May 23, 2026.
Chicago
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. "Bornite." My Mineral Box. Last modified May 4, 2026. https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/bornite/.
BibTeX
@misc{mmb_bornite,
author = {{MyMineralBox Editorial Team}},
title = {{Bornite}},
year = {2026},
publisher = {My Mineral Box},
url = {https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/bornite/},
urldate = {2026-05-23}
}
Identification & care
Specimens usually show cubic, dodecahedral, octahedral crystals (rare); usually massive or granular. Its color is typically copper-red to pinchbeck-brown. The luster is metallic, the streak is grey-black, and specimens are typically opaque. The cleavage is poor/indistinct on {111}. The fracture is irregular/uneven, which aids identification.
Collector context
How it forms
The geological setting for Bornite is typically hydrothermal copper deposits, porphyry copper systems, contact metasomatic zones; frequently found as exsolution product with chalcopyrite. It is commonly found in association with chalcopyrite, chalcocite, pyrite, galena, covellite, native copper.
Classic Chinese localities
**Jiama Cu-polymetallic deposit**, **Dexing Cu-Mo-Au ore field** and **Huanggang Fe-Sn deposit** are an important Chinese source for the species.
Why collectors care
Bornite is among the most visually dramatic sulfides and native metals a collector can own. Bright metallic faces, sharp crystal geometry, and good matrix contrast make a single well-selected piece carry an entire cabinet; luster integrity and termination sharpness ultimately define its collector value.
What affects value
Value in Bornite is assessed, in typical order of weight, against: (1) locality provenance; (2) crystal size; (3) termination quality and crystal completeness; (4) metallic luster integrity (absence of tarnish); (5) crystal habit elegance (parallel, radiating, or bladed); (6) matrix contrast and aesthetic balance; (7) condition and absence of re-attached crystals. Verified locality documentation and absence of cleaning residue act as strong multipliers across the above.
Naming history
The name Bornite has a specific etymological and historical context — see Mindat's reference entry for provenance details. We have retained naming data at the record level; published prose is paraphrased from factual fields rather than copied from source.
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