Copper pseudomorph after Aragonite with Malachite and Cuprite

Item Description

Here is a wonderful thumbnail size specimen of the famous pseudomorphs of Copper after Aragonite from Corocoro. These floater specimens are well known from Bolivia for their great form and color. This piece has the classic and unique pseudohexagonal form that has made these pieces some of the most well known and highly sought after pseudomorphs around. Perhaps the best aspect of the piece is the association of mint green Malachite and blood red Cuprite (plus possibly minor green Brochantite). We photographed these species with a Canon 65mm MP-E macro lens to better illustrate their quality. Typically, when these pseudomorphs reach a larger size, they tend to be rather distorted and rounded, and this piece has rather sharp and well defined faces. There has not been any significant amount of these specimens on the market in approximately 25 years, and they are often only found in old collections. It has come to my attention that a Korean mining company has purchased the area around Corocoro to mine exclusively for Copper, and it will be very difficult to obtain new material as long as they're in production.