Cuprite

specimen number:
8821939

location:
Great Australia Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia

description:
An open pocket across the top of this matrix almost 2.0 cm across his lined with beautiful deep red lustrous cubic crystals of cuprite. In good condition.

The Great Australia Mine, located just south of Cloncurry in northwest Queensland, Australia, is a historic copper-mining operation that has operated intermittently since the early twentieth century. Geologically, the deposit sits within the Mount Isa Inlier, where mineralization is hosted in Proterozoic volcanic and sedimentary rocks influenced by major faulting and brecciation. The site features both hypogene sulfide assemblages, consisting mainly of chalcopyrite, and a rich supergene zone characterized by secondary copper minerals like malachite, azurite, cuprite, and native copper, alongside notable cobalt and gold associations. Over the decades, the project has changed hands through various mining companies, transitioning through open-cut and heap-leaching phases while remaining a key part of the region's active copper exploration and development history.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.