Cyanosite

/ˈsaɪ.ə.noʊ.saɪt/ noun

Definition

A rare blue-colored mineral, a secondary copper compound found in oxidized ore deposits.

Etymology

From cyano- (blue, referring to color) + -site (mineral suffix). The naming follows mineralogical convention of using color descriptors for newly discovered minerals.

Kelly Says

Cyanosite is one of thousands of minerals named for their color or appearance—geologists love descriptive names because they give you a visual hint about what you're looking at before you even run tests on it.

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