Cuprite on Copper (rare locality) (ex Gary Weaver Collection)

Item Description

A rarely seen specimen of Cuprite on Copper from the Rio Tinto Mine in Nevada. The label accompanying the piece states that it's from the "Mtn City Mine", but I'm certain this is a reference to Mountain City. With that said, this is an elegant and eye-catching specimen featuring hundreds of tiny, but well-formed crystals of metallic red Cuprite which have formed as alteration of the underlying Copper. Most of the specimen has transformed to Cuprite, but a small amount of the original Copper can be seen in areas. Upon close inspection, one can see many fine quality Cuprite crystals which vary in habit from octahedrons to dodecahedrons, and it appears there are some elongated penetration twins as well. We have photographed the piece with a Canon MP-E 65 mm macro lens to better illustrate the quality. If you collect native metals (and associated species), or if you've always wanted to get your hands on a nice Cuprite from Rio Tinto, do not pass up this piece, as they are almost impossible to obtain these days. From the collection of Gary Weaver of Prescott, Arizona (1944-2019). Gary was an electrical engineer who worked for many years for Hughes Aircraft in California. You can read Gary's obituary here https://www.dcourier.com/news/2019/apr/27/obituary-gary-richard-weaver/