Kröhnkite (rare classic material)

Item Description

Here we have a beautiful and classic example of the rare sodium copper sulfate mineral, Kröhnkite. This piece comes from the type locality for the species, the monstrous Chuquicamata Mine in Chile, which is one of the largest mines (it's actually an open pit) in the world. Chuquicamata has undoubtedly produced the finest examples of Kröhnkite ever seen. The first specimens actually date back over 100 years to 1908, and no other locality has ever produced anything bigger or better. This particular specimen features gorgeous rich blue colored crystals of Kröhnkite measuring up to 1.2 cm sitting on matrix. A crystal group of a green colored mineral is present on the piece, possibly Natrochalcite(?). A wonderful example of this classic, important material from this prestigious locale.
This piece comes from the collection of John Dagenais (#JD-785), a collector from the Pacific Northwest. John started collecting in 1969 and progressed to micromounting, and later built suites of specimens from the Chuquicamata Mine in Chile, the Tsumeb Mine in Namibia, the Majuba Hill Mine in Nevada, the Black Pine Mine in Montana and the Tintic District in Utah, among other places. You can visit John's mindat profile at https://www.mindat.org/user-647.html.