Copper

specimen number:
8911176

location:
Turjinsk mine, Sverdlovsk Oblast', Russsia

description:
Classic old Russian copper specimen, nicely branching dark crystallized native copper in a cluster without matrix. In great condition. The specimen comes with a previous label from the Alton collection, as well as one from the Liebetrau collection.

Located in the northern Ural Mountains of Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, the Turjinsk Mine (also known as the Turinsk or Turyinsk Mine) operates within a classic skarn system formed by contact metamorphism between Paleozoic limestone and granodiorite intrusions. Hydrothermal fluids enriched in iron and copper replaced the adjacent carbonates, depositing massive ore bodies alongside a rich assemblage of secondary minerals. Mining in the Turyinsk district dates back to the mid-18th century, driven by imperial Russia's demand for copper and iron production. Over nearly three centuries of continuous extraction, the locality earned international acclaim among mineralogists and collectors for yielding fine specimens of copper, chalcopyrite, and distinctive pseudomorphs, serving as a landmark site in Uralian mining history.

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