Pyrite with Chalcopyrite, Quartz

specimen number:
2292435

location:
Animon Mine, Huaron, Pasco, Peru

description:
The top of matrix is covered by glassy gem crystals of quartz, scattered throughout golden lustrous crystals of pyrite to 0.7 cm in size. Chalcopyrite present as well, this is in good condition. Classic material for this locality.

The Animon mine is located within the Huaron mining district in the Pasco Province of Peru, situated at an altitude between 4,500 and 4,700 meters above sea level. Geologically, it is a hydrothermal polymetallic deposit associated with Miocene-aged monzonite dykes that intruded into the folded sedimentary rocks of the Huaron anticline. Mineralization typically occurs in veins, replacement bodies known as mantos, and disseminated zones within the host rock, featuring a complex assemblage of silver, lead, zinc, and copper minerals alongside gangue materials like pyrite and quartz. Historically, mining activity in the area began to expand in the 1960s as operations moved into extensions of the veins first identified at the nearby Huaron mine. The operation has faced significant challenges, most notably in 1998, when a collapse at Lake Naticocha flooded the underground workings of both the Animon and Huaron mines, leading to a temporary suspension of activity. Today, the mine remains an active and significant producer in the region, currently operated as part of the broader Chungar mining unit.

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