Copper pseudomorph after cuprite

Copper pseudomorph after cuprite

sold
Locality
Rubtsovsky Mine, Altai Krai, Siberia, Russia
Minerals
Copper, Cuprite
Dimensions
2.4 x 2.2 x 2 cm
Size class
Thumbnail
SID
COPPER12

The cuprites from the Rubtsovsky Mine in Russia are widely considered the best ever found. The Rubtsovsky Mine is an operating copper mine, and the oxidation zone has produced Cuprites, Azurites, native copper, silver, and iodine minerals like Miersite, and Marshite. I have been following the production for many years, and they are totally done producing cuprites, pseudos, etc. To better understand how these are unique and what pieces stand out from "the crowd." About 95+% of the production have damage of some kind to a corner or edge. This is largely due to the miners who when extracting crystals from the kaolin clay zone (which protects the Cuprites), they drop them into their pockets, and they get dinged. 

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The copper pseudomorphs from here are quite rare (occuring less than 1% of the time vs. whole cuprites). This piece is quite large for a copper pseudo. I stashed this piece years ago, good ones like this are scarce on the market. no damage.  

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