Middlebackite

Middlebackite is an organic mineral with the formula Cu₂C₂O₄(OH)₂. It was first discovered within a boulder from the Iron Monarch quarry in South Australia in June 1990.^[2] Peter Elliott from the University of Adelaide, Australia, identified the structure of the mineral 25 years later. He determined its crystal structure through single-crystal X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. Elliot named the mineral for the Middleback Range where it originated.^[3] In 2018 middlebackite was found in Val di Fiemme, Italy, during researches that brought to the discovery of a new mineral named fiemmeite.^[4]

Middlebackite
General
Category	Organic mineral
Formula	Cu2C2O4(OH)2
IMA symbol	Mbk[1]
Crystal system	Monoclinic
Crystal class	2/m - Prismatic
Identification
Color	Turquoise

Localities

• Australia: Iron Monarch open cut, Iron Knob, Middleback Range, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia
• Italy: Passo di san Lugano, near Carano