Azurite rosette on matrix

Item Description

This item is part of a special benefit auction for the Rice Museum of Rocks & Minerals (ricenorthwestmuseum.org). Items are either deaccessions from the museum's collection or were donated by generous supporters listed below.

Auction open April 1, 2021 through April 17, 2021.

Billing for this auction will occur on Monday, April 19, for payment using PayPal or credit card. Shipping will be billed at cost, or please contact brandy@mineralauctions.com if you'd like to plan on picking up items at future shows or during a stop through Dallas.

Morenci Azurite today is rather bland in style, compared to what came out in the distant past, and occasionally we see a shocking specimen that reminds us of that hard truth - and of how many probably were not preserved, when they were coming out. Specimens like this, especially given the condition, were few enough at the time and even harder to obtain today. The Detroit Shaft of Morenci was discovered in 1884 and produced from 1884-1932 (see MINDAT for more info: https://www.mindat.org/loc-47134.html). This specimen is perfection - perfectly trimmed with a pristine, lustrous, multicolored display of azurite with minor partial alteration to malachite. The main crystal cluster is 3.5 cm across as it sits, longer if diagonally measured. It is perched on contrasting, unique matrix with bubbly growths of minor copper minerals. The photos convey the color, but in addition it has a superb luster that comes across better in video. This is a unique style, very different from all others here out of the Museum's extensive and historic Arizona suite. These were encountered when the open pit operation mined through the old underground workings of the Detroit and Manganese Blue Mines, dating from the 1880s.