Copper

specimen number:
2063199

location:
New Cornelia Mine, Ajo, Pima Co., Arizona, USA

description:
A superb cluster of sharply formed crystals of native copper, the largest measuring to 2.5 cm in size. This is in terrific condition all around. The quality is excellent for the species and locality. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark.

The New Cornelia Mine, located in the Little Ajo Mountains near Ajo, Pima County, Arizona, is hosted within an Early Tertiary quartz monzonite stock intruding older volcanic and intrusive rocks. The orebody is a classic porphyry copper deposit consisting of primary chalcopyrite and bornite, along with an oxidized capping rich in secondary copper minerals. Early extraction was attempted by Spanish and Mexican miners in the 1700s, but large-scale operations commenced in the early 1900s, turning it into Arizona's first major open-pit copper mine. It was operated extensively by the Calumet and Arizona Mining Company and later Phelps Dodge until open-pit mining ended in the 1980s. For mineral collectors, the locality is famous worldwide for producing exceptional specimens of native copper, malachite, shattuckite, papagoite, andajoite, making it a highly prized source for rare copper silicates and carbonates.

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