az·ur·ite  (āzh'ə-rīt')  n. An azure blue vitreous mineral of basic copper carbonate, Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2, used as a copper ore and as a gemstone. Also called chessylite. |
| ches·sy·lite (shěs'ə-līt', chěs'-) n. See azurite. [After Chessy, a town of east-central France.] |
chessylite
basic copper carbonate [Cu3(OH)2(CO3)2]. It is ordinarily found with malachite in the oxidized zone of copper lodes. Notable deposits are Tsumeb, Namibia; Chessy, Fr.; and Bisbee, Ariz., U.S. Azurite was used as a blue pigment in ancient Eastern wall painting and, from the 15th to the middle of the 17th century, in European painting. For detailed physical properties, see carbonate mineral (table)
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