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Formula: CuCl2
Normal halide, lawrencite group
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 3.42 calculated
Colour: Brown to golden brown
Solubility: Readily soluble in cold water; tolbachite is hygroscopic, and alters rapidly to
eriochalcite in air
Environments
Localities
At the type locality, the First scoria cone, Northern Breakthrough, Great Fissure eruption, Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka
Krai, Russia, tolbachite occurs as elongated crystals to 2 mm, in fibrous, mosslike growths incrusting
basalt. Associated Minerals include
tenorite, euchlorine,
dolerophanite, piypite,
ponomarevite, kamchatkite,
klyuchevskite, chalcocyanite,
cotunnite, sofiite,
halite and sylvite
(Mindat).
At the Southwest mine, Hendricks Gulch, Bisbee, Cochise county, Arizona, USA, tolbachite formed with other
copper chlorides in an oxidised copper deposit. Associated minerals include
paratacamite, nantokite and
cuprite
(HOM).
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