Cuprite octahedrons on Chrysocolla

Item Description

Mirror-bright, very metallic, deep ruby-red, sharp octahedral cuprite crystals, showing internal gemminess and transparency when backlit (they cut large, ruby-red gems from such crystals!). The crystals, to 1.7 cm, are very attractively concentrated in a curved vug lined with knobby, powder-blue, botryoidal chrysocolla. The crystals have classic form and this is beautiful example of the species. This piece is from the late 1980s finds at this famous mine. These are no longer coming out, for a number of reasons having to do as much with the society and politics there, as the actual mines themselves. Valued at $750-900