CONNELLITE
Specimen cnl-3

Dims: 2.6 x 2.4 x 1.6" (6.6 x 6.0 x 4.1 cm)

Wt: 8.9 oz. (251 g)

Gold Hill Mine, 150 level, Tooele County, Utah, U.S.A.

A small crust of crushed or powdery Connellite rests on the copper-laden base of this cabinet piece. The crust appears to be made up of countless tiny, crushed fibers and has a pale blue color and a generally dull luster. These fibers are too fine to easily study, but likely have good hexagonal, acicular form and are at least translucent. The base holds several other copper minerals, including chalcopyrite, cuprite and likely a small amount of malachite.

Dims: 2.5 x 1.9 x 1.7" (6.4 x 4.9 x 4.3 cm)

Wt: 6.6 oz. (188 g)

Gold Hill Mine, 150 level, Tooele County, Utah, U.S.A.

A few small patches of sky-blue Connellite rest on the base of this cabinet specimen. These patches are actually crushed mattes of tiny Connellite fibers that are far too fine to study with a loupe. The crusts have a dull luster and appear to extend part way into the base rock in a small vein. A myriad of other copper-bearing minerals are visible on the host rock, including cuprite, malachite and possibly chrysocolla or turquoise, brochantite, conichalcite and one or more copper sulfide minerals.

Dims:1.0x0.7x0.1" (2.5x1.8x0.3 cm)

Wt: 0.05oz. (1.4g)

Perrin St. George Mine, Cornwall, England

This thumbnail consists of a bit of massive connellite. No evidence of crystal form may be seen, and it has a dull luster. The color is a medium blue, a copper indicator. There is a small amount of matrix material on the back of this specimen. Connellite is named for the Scottish geologist, Arthur Connell.

Dims:0.9x0.9x0.4" (2.3x2.3x1.0 cm)

Wt: 0.1oz. (3g)

Perrin St. George Mine, Cornwall, England

This specimen consists of a crust of massive connellite on a bit of matrix material. There are no crystals visible to study the hexagonal form of this mineral. Viewed on edge, however, it is interesting to observe the banding showing the layers of deposition. There is no damage to this specimen other than where it was broken from the host rock.