A rare copper sulfide mineral with the chemical formula Cu₈S₅, typically occurring as bronze-colored crystals.
From Latin arcus (bow, arc) + -ite (mineral suffix). Named in the 19th century, likely referring to the mineral's curved crystal forms or its copper-rich composition, though the exact naming origin is debated among mineralogists.
Arquerite is so rare that most mineralogists will never see a specimen—it's one of those minerals that exists mostly in museum collections and geology textbooks, making it a prized find for mineral collectors who spend years searching for new specimens.
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