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Mineral Specimens with Copper
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8.9 x 5.8 x 4.5 cm. Gemmy and lustrous, scintillating, blood-red cuprite crystals to 4 mm cover all sides of the copper matrix on this major copper ore specimen from the Tsumeb Mine. Cuprite and copper specimens of this richness are uncommon from this renowned locale. From Level 41. Ex. Rob Smith Collection.
11.5 x 7.4 x 5.9 cm. Everybody knows of the famous 1800's-era Bristol Mine for one species: chalcocite. However, it did produce other minerals, including spectacular iridescent chalcopyrites. These botryoidal, fanciful growths were commonly known as "blistre ore" or "blister copper" by the miners. This is an extremely good, large, and showy example, with some attached quartz matrix at bottom. It is 3-dimensional and complete all around except for only a bit of peripheral wear and one broken nodule amongst many. A superb, cabinet-sized, display-quality, historic specimen of a rare style of chalcopyrite (I am familiar with it only from Cornwall and Butte, both rarely seen). It is the rare variety described by Bob Jones in the Bristol Article, Min Record, Vol 32, # 6, page 446, with a photo on page 447, which shows the stalactitic chalcopyrite. Ex. Ken Hollman Collection.
14.4 x 11.4 x 4.3 cm. A very rich and fine cabinet pseudomorph of rust-red copper after sharp cuprite crystals to 5 mm covering a curved crust of solid copper from the Morenci Mine of Arizona. Super-rich copper ore here from a renowned locale and the richness of the cuprite pseudomorphs is uncommon. This would be considered a fairly major Morenci copper specimen, pseudomorph or not. From the Consie Prince old dealer stock.
6.4 x 2.9 x 1.8 cm. A very rich, showy, old-time silver-copper "half-breed" from the famous mines of Michigan’s Copper Country. The sculptural specimen has an uncommon, particularly high silver content that I estimate at 70-80% or more. Most half-breeds have a silver content of less than 50%. The piece is nicely complimented by a small cluster of sea-green prehnite botryoids and embedded, layered, off-white analcime or baryte. Ex. Mullane Collection. Weighs 91 grams.
4.0 x 3.5 x 0.6 cm. A classic and aesthetic copper specimen of beautifully burnished spinel-twinned copper crystals in perpendicular groupings as long spears or in arborescent clusters. Ex. Jaime Bird Collection.
4.1 x 2.8 x 2.1 cm. A rare and superb Mexican example of copper included inside and on water-clear calcite scalenohedrons from the much less well-known Bufa Mine of Chihuahua. All of the calcite crystals are pristine and if you look down into the crystals, you can see the bright copper inside. The arborescent clusters of spinel-twinned, nicely burnished copper crystals really add character to an outstanding specimen of major interest from a historic find. This looks just like an excellent Onganja copper in calcite, but its not. Ex. Jaime Bird Collection.
4.5 x 3.7 x 2.8 cm. An old-time, very sculptural, copper-silver "half-breed" from the National Mine of Michigan’s Copper Country. The silver on this very showy piece is the 7 mm "tiara", just below the peak of the piece. The three, sharp, angular "arms" are casted copper with a nice patina. The multi-colored "body" of this strange-looking piece is quartz, malachite, olive-green epidote and copper. The National Mine opened in 1848 and closed for good in 1893. Classic combination material from the Jaime Bird Collection.
This old specimen features thick, robust crystals to FOUR CENTIMETERS IN SIZE, perched as if arching up and away from a quartz matrix that is colored green in spots by epidote (or prehnite?). In that subtle way of crystallized coppers, it is pretty darned dramatic - BETTER IN PERSON. 8.6 x 4.3 x 3 cm
21.7 x 7.4 x 6.9 cm. A striking, feather-like, large cabinet copper specimen from Michigan’s Copper Country and the Richard Hauck Collection. This outstanding, old-time specimen is extensively and sharply crystallized on both sides and has a beautiful, buttery, copper patina. The upper portion of this giant is very nicely arborescent. Copper crystal forms include spinel-twins and tetrahexahedrons. The scattered bit of embedded matrix and the two copper "feet" add character.
2.1 x 2.0 x 1.9 cm. Here is a wonderful thumbnail size specimen of the famous pseudomorphs of Copper after Aragonite from Corocoro. These floater specimens are well known from Bolivia for their great form and color, and this piece has the classic and unique form that has made these pieces some of the most well known and highly sought after pseudomorphs around. The greatest aspect of this piece is that it is a not a single pseudo-hexagonal crystal, but rather a group of several intergrown crystals, which is much less common for this material. This specimen is a very fine example of these unique pseudomorphs. There hasn't been any significant amount of these specimens on the market in approximately 25 years, and they are often only found in old collections.
11.0 x 7.3 x 6.3 cm. The main crystal is 3.5 inches tall, 3-dimensional and fat, and highly lustrous. The matrix is a mix of copper and rock. Ex. Irv Brown Collection.
8.9 x 3.7 x 2.2 cm. Native copper was relatively uncommon at the Tsumeb Mine, despite the abundance of copper ores that came out of the mine. This fine and unusually formed copper is a solid, folded stack of foliated copper leaves. One side looks like a folded stack of crinkly, wet sheets of paper. The backside is simply curved copper. This piece does have a very nice copper patina. A strange Tsumeb copper from the Rob Smith Collection, a noted Tsumeb specialist.
THis would be a good locality piece even if it were just pure copper, but the addition of the colorful bits of azurite and malachite is a bonus! Probably an oldtimer...I've never seen one before. Weight is hefty at 81 grams 6 x 4.5 x 1 cm
4.4 x 4.1 x 2.5 cm. An interesting calcite specimen with a creeping ivy-like growth of native copper attached to it, perched gently atop. Classic and very fine Bisbee miniature. Ex. Harold Urish Collection.
12.1 x 10.6 x 4.1 cm. A classic Ray Mine copper with characteristic color and crystal habit. The associated matrix provides a natural pedestal for arborescent growth. Ex. Harold Urish Collection.
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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
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share specimen![Cuprite, Copper from Tsumeb Mine (Tsumcorp Mine), Tsumeb, Otjikoto (Oshikoto) Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-225059a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-225059a.jpg)
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