Atacamite

specimen number:
2072092

location:
La Farola Mine, Cerro Pintado, Atacama, Chile

description:
Attractive emerald green lustrous crystal sprays of atacamite across the top of a chrysocolla matrix. In good condition. At one time this was part of the collection of Jordi Povill.

The La Farola Mine is located in the Atacama Desert near Copiapo, in the Atacama Region of northern Chile. Geologically, it is situated within the Coastal Cordillera, a belt known for its significant copper mineralization that formed primarily during the Cretaceous Period. The deposit is characterized as a hydrothermal vein system hosted within volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. Historically, the mine was worked for copper, but it has gained international acclaim in the mineralogical community for producing some of the world's finest specimens of atacamite. This secondary copper chloride mineral forms in the highly arid, saline conditions of the Atacama Desert, where primary copper sulfides undergo intense oxidation in the presence of chloride-rich groundwater.

Atacamite from La Farola is highly prized for its deep, saturated emerald-green to forest-green color and its exceptional crystal clarity. The mineral typically occurs as slender, prismatic crystals or as radiating, "grass-like" aggregates that can reach several centimeters in length. These crystals often possess a high vitreous luster and are frequently found in aesthetic vugs or cavities within a dark, contrasting matrix. While atacamite is found in several localities across Chile, the specimens from La Farola are considered some of the best for the species due to their sharp terminations and the intense, dark green hue that is characteristic of this specific desert environment.

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