Copper

specimen number:
8911225

location:
Itauz Mine, Zilandy, Satpayev, Ulytau, Kazakhstan

description:
Excellent thumbnail for the species and locality, a branching well crystallized grouping of native copper without matrix. This has an excellent read patina making it quite attractive and the piece is in great condition. The specimen comes with a previous label from the Alton collection.

Located in the Ulytau Region of Kazakhstan, the Itauz Mine is part of the extensive Dzhezkazgan copper ore field, where stratiform copper mineralization is hosted within Upper Carboniferous to Permian sandstone and siltstone beds. Hydrothermal fluids circulating through porous sedimentary strata deposited primary copper sulfides, which later underwent secondary oxidation near the surface. Underground mining operations began in the late twentieth century, yielding substantial copper ore alongside pristine mineral specimens. Among mineral collectors, the locality is world-famous for producing exceptional copper, cuprite, and malachite specimens, particularly sharp, lustrous copper crystals and well-formed cubic cuprite crystals replaced by malachite pseudomorphs.

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