chalcopyrite or copper pyrites, brass-yellow mineral, sometimes with an iridescent tarnish. It is a sulfide of copper and iron, CuFeS₂ . It crystallizes in the tetragonal system but is usually found in the massive form. Chalcopyrite is of primary origin and occurs in igneous and metamorphic rocks and in metalliferous veins. It is an important ore of copper and is widely distributed throughout the world.

Most common copper mineral, a copper and iron sulfide (CuFeS₂), and a very important copper ore. It typically occurs in ore veins deposited at medium and high temperatures, as in parts of Spain, Japan, Montana, and Missouri. Chalcopyrite is a member of a group of sulfide minerals, and it crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system. Its atomic structure is related to that of sphalerite.

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