Chalcanthite (rare locality specimen)

Item Description

This is the first specimen of Chalcanthite that we've ever seen from the famous Christmas Mine, best known for its beautiful blue Kinoite crystals. This piece comes with a "Perky" box with a tag on the underside that dates it to March 2, 1985, but we can't say for sure if that's when the piece was found or purchased. The tag also states that it was purchased from the Lesnicks for a mere $4.00! With that said, it is a beautiful example of Chalcanthite featuring intense glowing azure blue colored fibrous crystals in parallel growth with a tiny bit of oxidized matrix on the back. This piece most likely formed as a result of the post-mining process by which underground copper bonds with sulfur-bearing waters in the mine. Nearly all Chalcanthite is found this way, so you can say that it's formed by nature but helped by humans. PLEASE NOTE: Chalcanthite is water soluble, so do not get the piece wet if you try to clean it. If you collect thumbnails, copper minerals or species from Arizona, do NOT miss out on this very hard to find example from this well-known locality.