Dioptase

specimen number:
2102430

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

description:
Both sides of this matrix are mostly covered with glistening green crystallized dioptase. In good condition.

The Magma mine, located in the Pioneer mining district at Superior in Pinal County, Arizona, was a legendary underground copper mining operation known for its extraordinarily deep workings and high-grade ore bodies. Geologically, the deposit is a complex hydrothermal system where mineralizing fluids formed extensive replacement bodies in Paleozoic limestone formations and filled deep-seated fault fractures, creating the massive Magma vein that cuts through Precambrian diabase, quartzite, and schist. The primary copper ore minerals included rich concentrations of bornite, chalcopyrite, and chalcocite, accompanied by zinc, silver, and gold mineralization. Originally claimed in the late nineteenth century as the Silver Queen mine, the property was reorganized as the Magma Copper Company in 1910 and began large-scale operations in 1911. The mine operated continuously for over eight decades, overcoming extreme underground temperatures that reached over 130 degrees Fahrenheit in its deepest levels, until changing economic conditions and the exhaustion of accessible high-grade reserves led to its permanent closure in 1996.

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