Copper

specimen number:
8311254

location:
Oumjrane Mine, Draa-Tafilalet, Morocco

description:
A loose cluster of beautifully crystallized native copper. In terrific condition.

The Oumjrane mine, located in the Alnif area of the Draa-Tafilalet region in eastern Morocco, is a significant modern producer of copper and lead. Geologically, the deposit is hosted within a series of Ordovician sandstone and shale formations that were fractured and mineralized by hydrothermal fluids. These fluids deposited primary sulfides like chalcopyrite and galena, but the locality is most famous among mineral collectors for its exceptional secondary native copper specimens. These occur as sharp, well-formed crystals, often in arborescent (tree-like) or spinel-twinned habits, which formed in the oxidized zones of the vein system. Historically, while small-scale mining in the region has occurred for centuries, the modern industrial phase of the Oumjrane mine began in the early 2000s under the management of the Compagnie Miniere d'Oumjrane. The mine has remained highly active through the 2010s and 2020s, gaining international acclaim for producing some of the finest crystallized native copper specimens ever found on the African continent.

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