Copper (CU-0004)

specimen number:
9273237

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

description:

Choice grouping of elongated twinned native copper crystals. In great condition all around with no points of attachment. Fine miniature for this Arizona classic.

The Ray Mine, located in Pinal County, Arizona, is a massive porphyry copper deposit with a history of large-scale open-pit mining dating back to the late nineteenth century. Geologically, the deposit is centered on Laramide-aged intrusive granodiorite and quartz monzonite porphyry stocks that cut through older Precambrian diabase and schist, creating extensive hydrothermal alteration and supergene enrichment zones. While primarily operated for bulk copper extraction, the mine has historically produced notable mineral specimens from its oxidized zones. Among mineral collectors, Ray is celebrated for yielding striking native copper specimens, including sharp, complex octahedral crystals and classic spinel-law twins associated with cuprite and malachite.

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