Chalcosiderite

Unknown Owner

Rich green crystallized chalcosiderite across the top of matrix. In good condition with slight micro-damage present, quite choice for this Cornish classic. Wheal Phoenix in Cornwall, England was part of the historic Cornish mining industry that developed extensive tin and copper mining from the 18th through the 19th centuries. The mine worked hydrothermal lodes hosted in granite and surrounding metamorphic rocks typical of the Cornish mineral districts. Underground shafts and levels were driven to follow veins containing cassiterite, chalcopyrite, and other sulfide minerals that supplied ore for local smelting works. Although production eventually declined as richer deposits elsewhere were developed, Wheal Phoenix remains part of the long tradition of Cornish metal mining and is associated with mineral specimens from the region.