Scientific Name: Variety of Chalcotrichite
Group: Oxides
Chemical composition: Cu2O
Colors: Shades of red to nearly black
Hardness: 3.5 to 4
Formation: Cubic crystals; Octahedral form
Principal Sources: Namibia, Australia, Russia, France, USA
Special Notes: Cuprite 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. It is a secondary mineral which forms in the oxidized zone of copper sulfide deposits. Cuprite was first described in 1845 and the name derives from the Latin cuprum for its copper content.