Copper minerals from worldwide localities
Copper minerals, especially the secondary compounds frequently found in the oxidized zones of Cu-bearing ore deposits, are safely placed among the all-time favourites of mineral collectors all over the world. The stunning variety of their colours and shapes has fascinated people since the first days of Cu mining. Some pretty examples for this diversity are provided by the specimen offered below, many of which stem from nowadays defunct mining locales.
JW-018 - Tennantite, Chalcopyrite & Quartz - 550 €
Cobre Mine, Concepción del Oro, Mun. de Concepción del Oro, Zacatecas, Mexico
Size: 13 x 12 x 9 cm
Rich clusters of tennantite crystals up to 2 cm size on white, drusy quartz crystals. One side of the specimen is covered with fine speckles of chalcopyrite. The tennantite crystals exhibit many faces with pristine metallic luster.
Cerussite and Malachite on Chalcocite - sold
Tsumeb, Otjikoto Region, Namibia
Size: 7.5 x 4.5 x 4.5 cm
A sculptural assembly of corroded chalcocite blades carries numerous translucent and lustrous cerussite crystals of up to 1 cm size. A botryoidal malachite coating covers most of the chalcocites and parts of some cerussites. Showy all around, this is a flawless specimen of attractive and rare paragenesis.
Heavily copper-included calcite scalenohedra and native copper on a matrix of basalt and prehnite. There are minute dispersed bits of copper giving the calcites themselves a rich copper background color overall, and still showing bright flecks of native copper inside. The main scalenohedron measures 2.5 cm. The specimen most likely stems from the Quincy Mine, where such pieces were found mostly in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Comes with former Cureton label.
Azurite (Chessylite) - sold
Chessy-les-Mines, Le Bois d'Oingt, Rhône, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Size: 7.5 x 5.5 x 2.5 cm
Sparkling, blocky azurite crystals in the vug of a matrix piece fully covered with a bright-blue microcrystalline azurite coating.
Azurite with Malachite ps. Azurite - sold
Tsumeb, Otjikoto Region, Namibia
Size: 9.5 x 6.5 x 5.5 cm
A historic specimen from the early years of mining in Tsumeb at the beginning of the 20th century. A sharp-edged, filligree cluster of malachite ps. azurite resides in a nest of sharp azurite needles. The azurite crystals are translucent and under strong illumination exhibit intense blazing-blue color. Some minor contacts along the periphery. Ex E. M. Gunnell collection.
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