Delafossite

specimen number:
2262146

location:
Bisbee, Cochise Co., Arizona, USA

description:
Sparkling micro crystals of delafossite across the top of matrix. Good rich example for the species. Minor cuprite present.

The Bisbee mining district, located in the Mule Mountains of Cochise County, Arizona, is one of the most significant copper-producing regions in American history. Geologically, the area is characterized by a massive limestone-replacement deposit known as the Warren District, where mineralizing fluids associated with the Jurassic-aged Sacramento Hill porphyry stock created vast bodies of copper, lead, and zinc sulfides. Delafossite, a rare iron-copper oxide, was first identified as a distinct species from specimens found here, occurring as small, black, metallic rhombohedral crystals or botryoidal masses within the deeply oxidized zones of the mines. Historically, mining and quarrying activities began in the late 1870s after the discovery of the Copper Queen ore body, leading to nearly a century of intensive exploitation by the Phelps Dodge Corporation. The district featured legendary operations such as the Lavender Pit and the Copper Queen Mine, which were major global contributors to copper production through the mid-20th century. While large-scale commercial mining officially ceased in 1975 due to the depletion of high-grade ores and rising costs, the site remains a premier locality for mineralogists and historians.

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