Quartz on Chrysocolla

specimen number:
1052446

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

description:
Stalactitic chrysocolla coming out of a pocket in matrix and coated with sparkling colorless crystals of gemmy quartz. In good condition. Very attractive.

The Ray Mine in Pinal County, Arizona, is a major copper mining operation that was developed in the late 19th century and later expanded into large scale open pit mining in the early 20th century. The deposit is a porphyry copper system hosted in intrusive and volcanic rocks and has produced significant amounts of copper along with byproducts such as molybdenum. In the oxidized zones of the deposit, secondary minerals formed in fractures and cavities. Quartz with chrysocolla occurs as blue to green coatings and vein fillings, often showing attractive contrast between the silica rich quartz and copper bearing chrysocolla.

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