Cuprite
Cuprite is an oxide mineral composed of copper(I) oxide Cu2O, and is a minor ore of copper.

Its dark crystals with red internal reflections are in the isometric system hexoctahedral class, appearing as cubic, octahedral, or dodecahedral forms, or in combinations. Penetration twins frequently occur. In spite of its nice color it is rarely used for jewelry because of its low Mohs hardness of 3.5 to 4. It has a relatively high specific gravity of 6.1, imperfect cleavage and is brittle to conchoidal fracture. The luster is sub-metallic to brilliant adamantine. The "chalcotrichite" (from , "plush copper ore") variety typically shows greatly elongated (parallel to [001]) capillary or needle like crystals forms.

It is a secondary mineral which forms in the oxidized zone of copper sulfide deposits. It frequently occurs in association with native copper, azurite, chrysocolla, malachite, tenorite and a variety of iron oxide minerals. It is known as "ruby copper" due to its distinctive red color.

Cuprite was first described by Wilhelm Karl Ritter von Haidinger in 1845 and the name derives from the Latin "cuprum" for its copper content.

Cuprite is found in the Ural Mountains, Altai Mountains, and Sardinia, and in more isolated locations in Cornwall, France, Arizona, Chile, Bolivia, and Namibia.
Q945532
oxide mineral
Concept
Q407709
copper(I) oxide
Concept
Q102798
ore
Concept
Q753
copper
Concept
Q473227
isometric
Concept
Q109856
twins
UNK
Q161439
jewelry
Concept
Q41472
Mohs hardness
Concept
Q11027905
specific gravity
Concept
Q583353
native copper
Concept
Q108212
azurite
Concept
Q407485
chrysocolla
Concept
Q164411
malachite
Concept
Q163577
tenorite
Concept
Q721849
iron oxide
Concept
Q78686
Wilhelm Karl Ritter von Haidinger
PER
Q397
Latin
Concept
Q35600
Ural Mountains
LOC
Q5955
Altai Mountains
LOC
Q1462
Sardinia
LOC
Q23148
Cornwall
LOC
Q142
France
LOC
Q816
Arizona
LOC
Q298
Chile
LOC
Q750
Bolivia
LOC
Q1030
Namibia
LOC
Q407335
Cuprite
Concept
Q407335
Cuprite
Concept
Q407335
Cuprite
Concept
1845-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1845
DATE
+2^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
2
NUMBER
+3.5^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
3.5
NUMBER
+4^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
4
NUMBER
+6.1^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
6.1
NUMBER
+001^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
001
NUMBER
subclass of
crystal system
diplomatic relation
diplomatic relation