Azurite (fine rare Arizona locality)

Item Description

This attractive and fine quality Azurite comes from a one-time find in October 24, 2009. This small cabinet-sized display specimen features excellent quality Azurite crystals from the Carlota Mine in Arizona. While this locality has been known since the early 1900s, these contemporary specimens are certainly the finest and best-known examples to have ever come out. This piece originally came from the miner and field collector Frank Valenzuela, who found the pocket. The color and quality is honestly not what one would associate with Arizona Azurites, as they are notably sharp and lustrous with a stark deep blue color, more reminiscent of Tsumeb, Milpillas or even Touissit. They even glow with a strong indigo hue around the edges when strongly backlit, also not typical from Arizona. There truly aren't many Arizona Azurites that look like this, and the fact that they came from a more recent discovery is a big deal because you just don't seen modern Azurites of THIS quality on the market. Many very sharp, rather lustrous, well-formed, blocky crystals measuring up to 1.0 cm are sitting on light green banded Malachite. There is some obvious damage to the piece, it's not perfect, but If you collect Arizona minerals, or worldwide Azurites, this piece is from a much rarer locality than Bisbee or Morenci. Valued $1,200.
From the collection of Robert (Bob) Reynolds who passed in August of 2020 (#RR 0761). Bob was a well-known fossil and mineral expert and former Curator of Earth Sciences at the San Bernardino County Museum in California. The rare phyllomanganate-chromate species Reynoldsite was named in his honor in 2011.