What is "cuprospinel"

n. (context mineral English) An isometric-hexoctahedral black mineral containing aluminum, copper, iron, magnesium, and oxygen.

Cuprospinel, occurs naturally in Baie Verte, Newfoundland, Canada. The mineral was found in an exposed ore dump, on the property of Consolidated Rambler Mines Limited near Baie Verte, Newfoundland. The mineral was first characterized by Ernest Henry Nickel, a mineralogist with the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources in Australia, in 1973.

Cuprospinel, is an inverse spinel with the formula CuFeO, where copper substitutes some of the iron cations in the structure. Its structure is similar to that of magnetite, FeO, yet with slightly different chemical and physical properties due to the presence of copper.