Cuprite

specimen number:
2102147

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

description:
A cluster of well crystallized native copper, this mostly covered with bright red lustrous crystals of cuprite measuring to 0.3 cm in size. Many of these cuprite crystals are actually cubic in habit. Classic specimen from Arizona.

The Ray Mine, located in the Mineral Creek district of Pinal County, Arizona, is a massive porphyry copper deposit that has played a central role in American mining for over a century. Geologically, the ore body is hosted within Precambrian schist and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks that were intruded by Laramide-age granodiorite porphyries, leading to extensive hydrothermal alteration and the formation of a vast secondary enrichment blanket. Historically, underground mining began in the early 1880s, but the operation transitioned to a large-scale open pit in 1948, which continues to be a major producer today under the management of ASARCO. The mine is world-renowned for producing exceptional mineral specimens from its oxidized zones, particularly vibrant red cuprite crystals often found in direct association with intricate, arborescent formations of native copper. These specimens are highly prized for their aesthetic contrast and sharp crystal forms, representing some of the finest examples of native copper and oxide mineral growth within the Arizona copper belt.

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