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tenorite
tenorite

tenorite

mineral
Also known as: melaconite
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
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History

tenorite, copper oxide mineral (CuO) found as gray-to-black metallic crystals as a sublimation product on lavas. Melaconite, the massive variety, is common as earthy deposits in the oxidized zone of copper lodes. Crystals of tenorite have been identified at Mount Vesuvius and Mount Etna, Italy, and at Lostwithiel, Cornwall, Eng. Melaconite is abundant at Huerta de Arriba, Burgos, Spain, and at Bisbee, Ariz., where it was mined (1880–1902) as a copper ore. For detailed physical properties, see oxide mineral (table).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.