Crystallized Copper with Cuprite (2021 find)

Item Description

Dramatically dense and sculptural arborescent nest of spinel-twinned copper crystals from a limited 2021 find at this super-large Chinese Cu-Mo-Au deposit. The impressive, finely crystallized, flattened, two sided, floater small cabinet resembles a Christmas tree. The overall very aesthetic dendritic spinel-twinned form is composed of a myriad of stacked rounded to sharp spinel-twinned crystals and smaller tetrahexahedral crystals. Both sides look great on this excellent piece. The variable patina includes some enhancing wine-red Cuprite coatings. Copper of this style compares favorably with classics from Michigan, Bisbee, Namibia or Kazakhstan. A very fine small cabinet with dense crystallization from an unusual but important locality. This mine has been worked for hundreds of years, but we only started to see specimen preservation recently.