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1 item @ $25.00   30:00

Ore Minerals 3

Tuesday, 30 October 2012 06:00 PM

A favorite subject amongst geologists/mineral collectors, the Ore Minerals SE will have several ore examples from some of the most fmaous mines in the world. Take a look at Ore Minerals  2 for a taste of what Ore Minerals 3 will be like.

Chalcopyrite

Bornite, Pyrite & Galena - #PD34262
Locality
Mapimi dist., Durango, Mexico 
Formula
CuFeS2 
Availability
Sold
Size
11 x 13 x 6 cm - Cabinet 
Tagged
sulfide  

A large, heavy sulfide-ore specimen composed of mostly brassy-yellow crystalline Chalcopyrite with Bornite, Galena, and Pyrite.

Mina Ojuela is a polymetallic deposit rich with Lead, Copper and Silver ores that was reportedly actively mined for 350+ years.  According to the the Mineralogical Record issue on the Ojuela mine, from 1598 to 1932 the mine produced some 6-million tons of high-grade Silver ore and 1-million tons of Sulfides.


Chalcopyrite

Formula
Cu1+Fe3+S2 
Crystal System
Tetragonal 
Crystal Habit
Euhedral Crystals, Striated, Druse 
Cleavage
Indistinct, None, None 
Luster
Metallic 
Color
brass yellow, honey yellow 
Streak
greenish black 
Class
Tetragonal - Scalenohedral 
Fracture
Brittle 
Hardness
3.5 
Collection
Phillips Collection

Cobaltite

#PD34278
Locality
Cobalt-Gowganda dist., Ontario, Canada 
Formula
CoAsS 
Availability
Sold
Size
3 x 6 x 6.5 cm - Sm Cabinet 
Tagged
sulfide  

Large >1cm silvery-gray Cobaltite crystals in a thick seam in matrix that has been cut and lightly polished to show the form and relationship of the metallic minerals. There are some more reflective metallics interstitially between the larger Cobaltite crystals that may be Silver or another related Sulfide.

Also, this piece comes with a label from Wayne DeBrusk of 'The Rare Earth', a mineral dealer out of Onaping, Ontario.

For more information on the mining history and severe environmental concerns in the Cobalt district check out http://www.cobaltmininglegacy.ca/index.php, a really great website with an abundance of great info on this important Silver district in North America.


Cobaltite

Formula
CoAsS 
Crystal System
Orthorhombic 
Crystal Habit
Massive - Granular, Striated, Granular 
Cleavage
Good, Good, Good 
Luster
Metallic 
Color
reddish silver white, violet steel gray, black 
Streak
grayish black 
Class
Orthorhombic - Pyramidal 
Fracture
Brittle 
Hardness
5.5 
Collection
Phillips Collection

Wayne DeBrusk label

Copper

& Silver - #PD34269
Locality
Mohawk mine, Keweenaw Co., Michigan, United States 
Formula
Cu 
Availability
Sold
Size
10 x 16 x 6.5 cm - Cabinet 
Tagged
native element  

Large heavy specimen with tarnished red crystalline Copper mixed with Silver still mostly embedded in Epidote/Quartz rock.

Comes with a Paul Moore label with the corresponding number 600 on one side of the Copper specimen.

Inactive since the late 1950's the Mowhawk mine produced Copper, Gold, Silver, Zinc and Lead and although the Copper deposits of Michigan were rich and profitable they were surpassed when the Butte district was discovered and mined in the late 1880's and 1890's.


Copper

Formula
Cu 
Crystal System
Isometric 
Crystal Habit
Nodular, Arborescent 
Cleavage
None, None, None 
Luster
Metallic 
Color
brown, copper red, light pink, red 
Streak
rose 
Class
Isometric - Hexoctahedral 
Fracture
Hackly 
Hardness
2.5-3 
Collection
Phillips Collections
Mineralpedia
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On Dakota Matrix
Previously Sold Copper
On Dakota Matrix
Other Available Copper
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SOLD
Copper - 17296
Copper - 17296

Copper

in Cuprite - #17296
Locality
Majuba Hill mine, Pershing Co., Nevada, United States 
Formula
Cu 
Availability
Sold
Size
4.5 x 9 x 2.5 cm - Sm Cabinet 
Tagged
native element  

Copper-red crystalline Copper poking out of dark purple Cuprite seams to 1cm wide throughout brecciated Porphyry matrix.

According the the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin 86, estimated past production of Copper is estimated at 2 million lbs, Silver at 184,000 oz, and Gold at 5,800 oz. As recently as 2011 the Majuba mine is being re-expolored by Max Resource Corp and is considered a significant source of Cu and Ag.


Copper

Formula
Cu 
Crystal System
Isometric 
Crystal Habit
Nodular, Arborescent 
Cleavage
None, None, None 
Luster
Metallic 
Color
brown, copper red, light pink, red 
Streak
rose 
Class
Isometric - Hexoctahedral 
Fracture
Hackly 
Hardness
2.5-3 
Mineralpedia
View Copper
On Dakota Matrix
Previously Sold Copper
On Dakota Matrix
Other Available Copper
WebMineral
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Mindat
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Cuprite

with Malachite - #PD31825
Locality
Butte dist., Silver Bow Co., Montana, United States 
Formula
Cu1+2
Availability
Sold
Size
7.5 x 8 x 6 cm - Sm Cabinet 

Heavy piece of purple-red massive Cuprite with green Malachite.

Originally explored in 1864 for Gold the Butte district later became one of the largest producing Copper districts in the World! For a great read on the history of Butte check out the DMM article, The Butte Mining District, Butte, Montana - A Summary of the History, Geology and Minerals.


Cuprite

Formula
Cu1+2
Crystal System
Isometric 
Crystal Habit
Massive - Granular, Capillary 
Cleavage
Imperfect, None, None 
Luster
Adamantine 
Color
brown red, purple red, red, black 
Streak
brownish red 
Class
Isometric - Hexoctahedral 
Fracture
Brittle - Conchoidal 
Hardness
3.5-4 
Collection
Phillips Collection
Mineralpedia
View Cuprite
On Dakota Matrix
Previously Sold Cuprite
On Dakota Matrix
Other Available Cuprite
WebMineral
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Mindat
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Cuprite

with Malachite - #PD34276
Locality
Bisbee, Cochise Co., Arizona, United States 
Formula
Cu1+2
Availability
Sold
Size
5.5 x 7 x 3 cm - Sm Cabinet 
Tagged
native element  

A neat specimen of solid dark red-purple crystalline Cuprite surrounded by a thin layer of green Malachite and white Quartz, which has been cut and lightly polished to show the internal structure of the Cuprite and the thin band of Machite.


Cuprite

Formula
Cu1+2
Crystal System
Isometric 
Crystal Habit
Massive - Granular, Capillary 
Cleavage
Imperfect, None, None 
Luster
Adamantine 
Color
brown red, purple red, red, black 
Streak
brownish red 
Class
Isometric - Hexoctahedral 
Fracture
Brittle - Conchoidal 
Hardness
3.5-4 
Collection
Phillips Collection
Mineralpedia
View Cuprite
On Dakota Matrix
Previously Sold Cuprite
On Dakota Matrix
Other Available Cuprite
WebMineral
View Cuprite
Mindat
View Cuprite

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