Antlerite

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A nice small cabinet piece of antlerite from the Chuquicamata mine in Chile. This is a two-sided specimen featuring different occurrences and crystal aggregates. The top of the piece displays relatively tight aggregates of lustrous, deep emerald green CRYSTALS of Antlerite up to 3mm! The bottom of the specimen has individual clusters of vitreous, translucent to transparent, dark emerald green crystals, most of which are in good condition. Antlerite is an uncommon copper sulfate hydroxide that forms in the oxidation zone of porphyry copper deposits in arid climates, like the Atacama Desert of northern Chile where this copper deposit is located. This open pit copper mine is now defunct and important specimens are becoming harder to find. Larger pieces of this type are simply unobtainable now. This is a very good example of the species that features abundant crystals!