Azurite with Gibbsite

specimen number:
2063608

location:
Dispatch Hill, Morenci Mine, Greenlee Co., Arizona, USA

description:
An open pocket 4.5 x 3.0 cm in size in matrix, this completely lined with white crystalline gibbsite. Scattered throughout this pocket are many brilliant deep blue bladed crystals of azurite to 1.0 cm in size. The crystals are sharply formed, only slight damage to one crystal which is up against the edge of the pocket and was probably caused by removal of the specimen during the collecting process. This is very good for the locality. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark.

Located within the Copper Mountain sector of the massive Morenci open-pit copper complex in Greenlee County, Arizona, Dispatch Hill is a prominent geological structure formed by Laramide-age porphyry copper intrusions. Extensive hydrothermal activity and subsequent deep supergene weathering enriched the surrounding bedrock, creating a world-famous oxidized zone rich in secondary copper minerals. Beginning with 19th-century underground operations before transitioning to major 20th-century open-pit mining, the site became celebrated among mineral collectors and museums for producing extraordinary specimens, particularly vibrant electric-blue azurite, velvety green malachite, and brilliant blue chrysocolla. High-grade mineral pockets uncovered along specific mining benches at Dispatch Hill during active extraction remain highly prized in contemporary mineralogy for their historical significance and exceptional aesthetic quality.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.