Chalcopyrite with Quartz, Sphalerite, Linarite

specimen number:
2062546

location:
Bandora Mine, San Juan Co., Colorado, USA

description:
Golden twinned crystals of chalcopyrite in a grouping 2.3 cm across set on a matrix of crystallized quartz. Minor sphalerite and blue micro crystalline linarite is present. The largest quartz crystal measures 3.0 cm in height, though most are much less in size. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark.

The Bandora Mine, situated on the northern slope of Fuller Peak within the Mineral Creek drainage of San Juan County, Colorado, was initially established around 1890 when development began on the site. Exact formal closing dates for individual operations like the Bandora are often not precisely documented, but regional hard rock mining in the area largely tapered off through the mid-20th century before operations completely ceased, later becoming part of historic remediation oversight. Geologically, the site is characterized by complex volcanic and intrusive rock formations typical of the San Juan Mountains, where mineralized veins containing precious and base metal ores formed within fractured tertiary volcanic rocks.

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