Dendritic, herringbone structure mimicking a delicate feather makes this a very aesthetic specimen. The beautiful combination of hues from the differing patinas, ranging from copper color to dark bronze to grey, adds character. A superb example from these finds, peaking in the early 2000's.

A sharp miniature, with crystals to 1.4 cm, from the fall-2011 finds here of this highly unusual pseudomorph (replacement) : copper has completely replaced the earlier crystals of cuprite, preserving their form and making for a beautiful specimen at the same time. This piece has a surface sparkle to it, caused by a later generation of microscopic copper deposition, that is hard to capture in photos without seeming to "over-light" the shots. So , in person, it is correct in this color but is very sparkly and lively, compared to most copper specimens. I have never seen such fine copper replacements after cuprite, from other locales. This new (and self-liquidating) mine has produced some amazing things during its short , recent run. Joe Budd photos.

A sharp miniature, very aesthetic, from the fall-2011 finds here of this highly unusual pseudomorph (replacement) : copper has completely replaced the earlier crystals of cuprite, preserving their form and making for a beautiful specimen at the same time. The crystals here reach 1.3 cm in size and show a superb degree of symmetry and perfection in form. This piece has a surface sparkle to it, caused by a later generation of microscopic copper deposition, that is hard to capture in photos without seeming to "over-light" the shots. So , in person, it is correct in this color but is very sparkly and lively, compared to most copper specimens. I have never seen such fine copper replacements after cuprite, from other locales. This new (and self-liquidating) mine has produced some amazing things during its short , recent run. Joe Budd photos.