Chalcostibite with Malachite

specimen number:
2262078

location:
Rhar el Anz, Cherrat Wadi, Casablanca, Morocco

description:
A grouping of chalcostibite crystals perched on matrix. A light green coating of malachite is present. Classic locality for the species.

The Rhar el Anz mine, located in the Oued Belif district near the city of Safi, Morocco, is a significant hydrothermal deposit known for its specialized antimony mineralogy. Geologically, the site is characterized by vein-type mineralization hosted within Paleozoic schists and quartzites, where fluids rich in antimony and copper precipitated a variety of sulfosalts during regional tectonic activity. The locality is highly regarded for producing exceptional specimens of chalcostibite, a copper antimony sulfide that typically forms elongated, prismatic metallic crystals or blade-like aggregates with a dark lead-gray to black luster. Historically, mining and quarrying operations at Rhar el Anz were primarily active during the mid-20th century, with focused extraction for antimony ores taking place between the 1940s and 1960s. While large-scale industrial mining has since ceased, the locality remains a destination for mineralogical study and specimen recovery through 2026 due to the high quality and crystal size of its sulfosalt species. The mine remains a classic reference point for collectors seeking well-crystallized examples of the copper-antimony system in North Africa.

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