Erythrite

specimen number:
2072013

location:
Mt. Cobalt, Queensland, Australia

description:
Purplish red acicular crystals of erythrite throughout matrix. Nice example for the species from this Australian locality. In good condition.

Mount Cobalt in Queensland, Australia, is part of a mining district developed in the early 20th century for cobalt and associated metals hosted in hydrothermal vein deposits within metamorphic and igneous rocks. Mining activity focused on extracting cobalt rich ores, along with copper and other elements, from narrow but high grade veins. The oxidized zones of these deposits produced a variety of secondary minerals, including erythrite, a cobalt arsenate mineral known for its vivid pink to purple coloration. Erythrite from Mount Cobalt typically occurs as crystalline coatings, sprays, and fibrous aggregates on rock surfaces, often associated with other cobalt and arsenic minerals. These specimens formed through the weathering and alteration of primary cobalt minerals, and they are valued by collectors for their bright color and association with this historic Australian mining locality.

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