Copper

specimen number:
2102292

location:
Ray Mine, Pinal Co., Arizona, USA

description:
Choice bright crystallized grouping of native copper with little attached matrix. In good condition all around. Classic stuff for this locality.

The Ray Mine, situated in the Mineral Creek District of Pinal County, Arizona, is one of the largest and most productive copper deposits in the United States. Geologically, the site is a classic porphyry copper system where mineralization is hosted within Precambrian Pinal Schist and Laramide-age igneous intrusions, such as the Teacup Granodiorite. The deposit underwent significant supergene enrichment, a process that created a variety of secondary minerals and spectacular specimens of native crystallized copper, which often form as intricate branching dendrites, robust spinel-twin crystals, or delicate leaf-like sheets within oxidized zones. Historically, the area was first organized for mining in 1880, though early underground efforts faced significant logistical challenges. Large-scale industrial operations began in earnest around 1911 with the implementation of cave-mining techniques and later transitioned to massive open-pit quarrying in 1948. The mine has been operated by several major entities over the decades, including the Kennecott Copper Corporation and currently ASARCO. Still active today, the Ray Mine remains a cornerstone of Arizona's copper industry and is highly regarded by the mineralogical community for the aesthetic quality and complex morphology of its native copper specimens.

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