chukanovite

Chukanovite is a rare mineral with the chemical formula Cu3VS4. It was discovered in 1979 by Soviet geologist Vladimir Evgenievich Kuznetsov in the Youssoupovskii mine of the Kola Peninsula in Russia. The mineral was named after the Soviet researcher Nikolai Pavlovich Chukanov.

Chukanovite is a brittle, shiny mineral with a metallic luster. Its color ranges from a reddish-brown to a coppery hue. The crystal habit of chukanovite can form a variety of shapes, including tabular and prismatic forms. It crystallizes in an orthorhombic system and has a perfect cleavage along certain planes.

Chukanovite belongs to the isocubanite group of minerals, which also includes isocubanite and routhierite. In terms of its chemical composition, chukanovite is a vanadium-bearing mineral containing copper. Vanadium exists as VO2+ in the mineral structure.

Chukanovite is considered a rare mineral, with only a few known occurrences. The Youssoupovskii mine is its primary source, although it has been reported in other Russian mines as well. Due to its rarity and limited availability, chukanovite is of limited interest to collectors and mineral enthusiasts. However, it does hold scientific significance for researchers studying the geochemistry and geology of vanadium-bearing minerals.

Chukanovite's rarity has limited efforts to study its unique properties and potential applications. Nonetheless, it remains an important addition to the mineral kingdom, contributing to our understanding of the Earth's geology and the diversity of minerals that exist.