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Elemental Composition (by mass)
| Element | Mass % | Visual |
|---|---|---|
| S Sulfur | 34.94% | |
| Cu Copper | 34.63% | |
| Fe Iron | 30.43% |
Computed from simplified end-member formula. Solid-solution series, water content, and trace substitutions cause real-world variation.
IMA Abbreviation (Whitney-Evans 2010)
Ccp
→ Chalcopyrite
Cu-Fe sulfide
Standard symbol from American Mineralogist (Whitney & Evans, 2010). Used in thin-section labeling, phase diagrams, and IMA-style species records.
Pronunciation
/ˌkælkəˈpaɪraɪt/
↔ kal-koh-PYE-rite
Greek "copper fire"
Tenacity
Behavior:
brittle
Under stress:
Shatters
Like pyrite — distinguishes from gold by shattering.
Luster
metallic
Brassier than pyrite; iridescent tarnish.
Color Cause (Chromophore)
Chromophore:
d-electron + tarnish
Mechanism:
iridescent oxide film
Color produced:
multi/peacock
Iridescent "peacock ore" from surface tarnish layer.
Notable localities (coordinates)
- Cornwall — England, UK50.3000, -5.0000 › OpenStreetMap
All localities and full GeoJSON available at /wp-json/mmb/v1/localities-geo
Diaphaneity (Transparency)
opaque
Metallic; brass with iridescent tarnish.
Type Locality
(known since antiquity) — Cornwall
Described 1725 by Henckel
Magnetism
Category:
antiferromagnetic
Test result:
Generally non-responsive
CuFeS₂ — antiferromagnetic at room temperature.
Test with rare-earth magnet (N42 or N52 neodymium). Suspend specimen on thread for sensitive paramagnetic detection. Diamagnetic minerals are weakly repelled (visible only with strong magnets like bismuth).
Streak Test
greenish black
Brassier than pyrite but same streak; iridescent tarnish helps separate.
Streak = color of the powdered mineral. Drag specimen across unglazed white porcelain plate (Mohs 6.5). For minerals harder than the plate, crush a small flake into powder and observe color.
Collector tier: Solid Display
Reliable mid-tier display species. Easy to find in well-formed examples; broad locality diversity.
Mohs 3.5–4
Vickers (~) 200 HV
Knoop (~) 220 HK
Nickel–Strunz
2.CB.10aDana
02.09.01.01Geological setting
Hydrothermal
Element composition by mass
Formula: CuFeS₂ · molar mass: 183.51 g/mol
| S | 34.94% | |
| Cu | 34.63% | |
| Fe | 30.43% |
Computed from atomic weights (IUPAC 2021). Site-occupancy groups (Fe,Mn) split equally.
Mohs Hardness
3.5–4
Chalcopyrite sits at 3.5–4 on the Mohs scale — can be scratched by a steel knife.
Colors:
Streak
Greenish-black
Greenish-black
Crystal system
Tetragonal
Tetragonal
Type localityGoslar, Harz Mountains, Germany
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Sulfides & SulfosaltsSulfides
TL;DR · 1 min read
Chalcopyrite is the most important copper ore mineral on Earth and the most common copper sulfide. Fresh crystals show brassy-yellow metallic faces; weathered surfaces develop iridescent purple-blue-gold tarnish often called "peacock ore.
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Chalcopyrite is the most important copper ore mineral on Earth and the most common copper sulfide. Fresh crystals show brassy-yellow metallic faces; weathered surfaces develop iridescent purple-blue-gold tarnish often called “peacock ore.” It crystallizes in the tetragonal system with disphenoidal pseudo-tetrahedral forms.
Notable Chinese Localities #
The Dexing Copper Mine (Jiangxi) and Daye District (Hubei) produce iridescent crystals as porphyry-Cu byproducts. Tongling (Anhui) and Yaogangxian (Hunan) host smaller but high-quality crystals.
Test at home — what scratches what
Will scratch your specimen:
🔪 Steel pocket knife (soft steel) (Mohs 5) · 🥃 Glass plate (Mohs 5.5) · 🔧 Steel file / hardened steel (Mohs 6.5) · ⚙ Sharp steel needle / quartz scratch (Mohs 7) · 🪨 Topaz scratch test (Mohs 8) · 💎 Corundum (sapphire/ruby) (Mohs 9)
🔪 Steel pocket knife (soft steel) (Mohs 5) · 🥃 Glass plate (Mohs 5.5) · 🔧 Steel file / hardened steel (Mohs 6.5) · ⚙ Sharp steel needle / quartz scratch (Mohs 7) · 🪨 Topaz scratch test (Mohs 8) · 💎 Corundum (sapphire/ruby) (Mohs 9)
Your specimen will scratch:
👆 Talc dust (Mohs 1) · 💅 Fingernail (Mohs 2.5)
👆 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). Chalcopyrite. My Mineral Box. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/chalcopyrite/
MLA
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. "Chalcopyrite." My Mineral Box, 2026, https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/chalcopyrite/. Accessed May 23, 2026.
Chicago
MyMineralBox Editorial Team. "Chalcopyrite." My Mineral Box. Last modified May 4, 2026. https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/chalcopyrite/.
BibTeX
@misc{mmb_chalcopyrite,
author = {{MyMineralBox Editorial Team}},
title = {{Chalcopyrite}},
year = {2026},
publisher = {My Mineral Box},
url = {https://mymineralbox.com/mineral-encyclopedia/minerals/chalcopyrite/},
urldate = {2026-05-23}
}
