Rodalquilarite with NATIVE Gold - Wendy open pit, Tambo Mine, El Indio deposit, Elqui Province

Rodalquilarite with NATIVE Gold

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Rodalquilarite is an extremely rare secondary iron chloro-tellurite species which only ever forms microcrystals, but under magnification these have a gorgeous transparent olive-green colour. Of all of the known world occurrences Wendy open pit at Tambo mine, Coquimbo, Chile is the one where the finest crystals have been found. Unusually, at Wendy open pit Rodalquilarite is often sat upon white Alunite (potassium aluminium sulphate hydroxide) and that appears to be case with this miniature specimen which also contains tiny amounts of Native Gold too. The Rodalquilarite occurs at one end of the specimen as one or two individual green microcrystals and a larger (2.5 x 1.5 mm), darker olive-green, dense cluster of tiny bladed crystals. A fine paragenetic example of this rare tellurite species from the superb systematic collection assembled by the brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021).