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Covellite (Photo) [abbr. Cv ]

Year of discovery: 1832 (Monte Vesuvius, Italy), 1899 (Japan)

Locality list: 240 localities of covellite

• CuS
• [Cu²⁺][S]^2-

• Class: Covellite group
• Class: Sulfide
• Insoluble in: HCl

• Cu => Hg: Metacinnabar (α), Cinnabar, Hypercinnabar
• Cu => Zn: Sphalerite (α), Wurtzite (β)
• Cu => Fe: Rudashevskyite, Troilite
• Cu => Mn: Alabandite (α), Rambergite (β)
• Cu => Ni: Millerite (β)
• Cu => Cd: Hawleyite (α), Greenockite (β)

• S => Se: Klockmannite
• S => Te: Vulcanite

• Color: Blue-Dark blue
• Streak: Lead gray
• Luster: Sub-Metallic
• Diaphaneity: Opaque

• Habit: {0001} Platy, Foliate
• Aggregate: Rosette
• Striation: Hexagonal on {0001}

• Cleavage: Perfect on {0001} (1 plane)
• Hardness: 1.5-2
• Density: 4.7

• System: Hexagonal
• Group: 6/mmm, P6₃/mmc
• Lattice: a=3.8, c=16.3

Etymology: Niccolo Covelli (1790-1829), Italian mineralogist who discovered this mineral for the first time.

Synonym: Covelline