Cuprite (NEW find)

Item Description

A showy and rich cuprite from a NEW find from Laos, that we debuted at the recent Denver Show. Laos is certainly not known as a mineral specimen paradise. Sharp, highly lustrous, silvery-bright, deep wine-red cuprites cover two sides of the massive cuprite matrix. The largest octahedron on this piece is a large 1.4 cm. This is not a cast-off. It is an excellent representation of the find. A bit of edgewear and bruising are noted and two sides have been sawed to enhance the display quality. We want our auction customers to have an early opportunity to obtain a fine piece, even before an upcoming Gallery update is offered. This find was actually from a single large, copper-rich, erratic boulder in this working gold mine recovered about 4-5 years ago, from which a few visiting geologists removed souvenirs. To our knowledge, other specimens have not been found, or preserved, and collecting at this time is forbidden. It is of course hard to value such a new find, from an unheard-of locale, and we have tried to do so based on cost and rarity both. Valued $200. The remaining specimens (several dozen only), will appear in an update on our gallery site shortly.