Cyanotrichite

Item Description

Cyanotrichite is a not a terribly common mineral in the United States, and most people would agree that the Grand View Mine in Arizona is most well-known locality for the species, but the second most productive mine would be the Peacock Mine in Lemhi County, Idaho. The specimens from Arizona are very similar to the Idaho material as is the case with this piece featuring similar radiating "velvety", tiny "hair-like" acicular groups of brilliant blue needles of Cyanotrichite associated with deep blue Azurite on oxidized matrix. The piece comes with a label from Continental Minerals and Larry Conklin, and we picked it up in an old East Coast collection, so it dates back a few decades for sure. I couldn't find any info about this mine, and while doing a bit of research I found a good article from Lanny Ream on his website about how the Peacock Mine is probably NOT the locality for this material, and may have never produced these specimens at all. Today, it's all still labeled as coming from the Peacock Mine, but in the article, Lanny says that he and a friend found specimens of Cyanotrihcite, Azurite and Malachite at the Iron Dike Mine in Stroud Gulch (just east of the Peacock Mine. Lanny states "What is apparently the Peacock Mine, presently shows no mineralization at all. Not one scrap of azurite, cyanotrichite or malachite can be seen on the dumps or workings." Interesting stuff. The You can read the article here: http://www.lrream.com/idaholocalities.html