Chalcanthite (from Ancient Greek χάλκανθον (khálkanthon), from χαλκός (khalkós) ´copper´, and ἄνθος (ánthos) ´flower, bloom´) is a richly colored blue-green water-soluble sulfate mineral CuSO4·5H2O. It is commonly found in the late-stage oxidation zones of copper deposits. Due to its ready solubility, chalcanthite is more common in arid regions.
Chalcanthite is a pentahydrate and the most common member of a group of similar hydrated sulfates, the chalcanthite group. These other sulfates are identical in chemical composition to chalcanthite, with the exception of replacement of the copper ion by either manganese as jokokuite, iron as melanterite, or magnesium as pentahydrite.
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