Chalcanthite is a brightly colored blue-green copper sulfate mineral. Its name comes from ancient Greek χαλκός (khalkós) 'copper', and ἄνθος (ánthos) 'flower, bloom'. Soluble in water, chalcanthite is used as a dye or mordant. Ingested, it can cause serious illness.
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Because of its solubility in water, chalcanthite is most common in arid zones. Other names for chalcanthite include blue stone, bluestone, blue vitriol, and copper vitriol. Chemists know it as copper sulphate or copper sulphate pentahydrate.
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Chalcanthite has a glassy or vitreous luster. It belongs to a group of hydrated sulfates, the chalcanthite group. The other sulfates are identical in chemical composition to chalcanthite but replace the copper ion of chalcanthite with manganese, iron or magnesium.
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This stone can be used commercially as copper ore but it's unstable and hard to find in significant quantity. On the Mohs hardness scale it's a soft 2. Like gold (2.5) it gets scratched easily. For comparison glass is 5-6.
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In natural form it's sought after by collectors, but it's not hard to grow the crystals with copper sulphate (sulfate). The copper sulphate is dissolved in water and creates crystals with heating then cooling the water. The crystals are separated by filtration.
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Crystals of pure copper sulphate can be made from impure samples by re-crystallization.
In re-crystallization of copper sulphate the impure sample is dissolved in water, heated, and then cooled. The process forms pure crystals.
Found naturally in oxidized copper deposits, chalcanthite often keeps company with other copper minerals. Frequently associated minerals include calcite, aragonite, brochantite, chalcopyrite, malachite and melanterite.
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As a dye it works best on protein fibers including wool and silk. It can also be used as a mordant for dye. Colors of chalcanthite range from Prussian blue to sky blue or cyan, and green blue hues. Copper is often a component of blue or green rocks and minerals.
Copper-containing blue stones include lapis lazuli and turquoise. Copper is also responsible for the blue blood of crustaceans such as lobster, and cephalopods like octopus.
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When dissolved in water chalcanthite has a metallic sweet taste. It is toxic and can cause copper poisoning with symptoms such as
vomiting
hematemesis (vomiting blood)
hypotension (low blood pressure)
melena (black tarry feces)
jaundice (yellowish pigmentation of the skin)
gastrointestinal problems
abdominal pain
coma
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Copper sulfate is obtainable at hardware stores, some garden centers and department stores and of course online. It's sold as a weed killer. fungicide, algaecide, root killer and herbicide for agriculture and non-agricultural use.
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