Proustite - image 1
Photo by Jeffrey A. Scovil

Proustite

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Proustite, 3.5 cm, from Uchucchacua, Peru. Jeff Scovil photo.

Product details

SpeciesProustite
SizeMiniature
Dimensions3.5 cm
Added on02/13/2026
LocalityPeru, Lima, Uchucchacua Mine
Publications
  • Mineralogical Record Mineral Collections In American Northeast page 227
Current owner
Joan Massague

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Proustite
Mineral guide
Learn about Proustite
ruby-silver trigonal prisms with deep crimson color and gemmy glow; photosensitive, prized for backlit cherry-red interiors and hydrothermal deposit…
Proustite
Regional guide
Proustite from Uchucchacua Mine, Peru
from the Uchucchacua Mine occupies a special place among modern “ruby silver” specimens: it is not usually the biggest proustite in the world, but the best pieces have a unmistakable Uchucchacua look—steel-gray to mirror-bright trigonal crystals that suddenly flash cherry- to blood-red when a strong light enters the crystal. That contrast is the appeal. In normal cabinet lighting the crystals may look metallic, almost blackened silver; under backlighting they reveal the saturated internal red that makes proustite one of the great optical pleasures of silver mineral collecting.
Locality guide
Uchucchacua Mine
A collector's guide to Uchucchacua Mine, Peru: its geology, mining history and notable minerals, illustrated with the 262 specimens documented from this locality on EarthWonders.