Erythrite

specimen number:
9302261

location:
Bou Azzer, Draa-Tafilalet, Morocco

description:

Superb grouping of lustrous magenta colored erythrite crystals with little matrix. This is in very good condition. The specimen comes with several previous labels as shown at the end of the video.

The Bou Azzer district, located in the central Anti-Atlas Mountains of Morocco, is a world-renowned mining center and the only place on Earth where cobalt is extracted as a primary ore from arsenide minerals. Geologically, the deposits are associated with Neoproterozoic ophiolites, where hydrothermal fluids circulating through serpentinites and quartz-carbonate veins deposited a rich suite of cobalt-nickel arsenides. The district is most famous among mineral collectors for producing the world's finest specimens of erythrite, a hydrated cobalt arsenate also known as "cobalt bloom." Erythrite from Bou Azzer typically occurs as brilliant, magenta to deep crimson-red prismatic crystals that can reach several centimeters in length, often forming stunning radiating sprays or clusters with a vitreous to adamantine luster. Historically, mining in the region began in the early 20th century after the discovery of cobalt-bearing outcrops in 1928, and it has since become a critical global supplier of cobalt. Today, Bou Azzer remains a premier locality for researchers and collectors alike, as its unique geochemical environment continues to yield aesthetic and scientifically significant specimens of erythrite and other rare arsenates.

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