Proustite - image 1

Proustite

Unknown Owner
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This rare silver mineral is one of the most difficult to find in good crystals from Peru, especially surprising given all the Peruvian silver we see. This fine thumbnail features extremely well-formed and lustrous crystals to half a centimeter. You can see the deep red color. A fine thumber of a PRIZED mineral! 1.6 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm

Product details

SpeciesProustite
SizeThumbnail
Dimensions1.6 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm
Added on10/23/2024
LocalityPeru, Lima, Uchucchacua Mine

Known provenance

DateCollectorAcquisition price
08/2024Unknown OwnerNot disclosed
—The ArkenstoneNot disclosed

Learn more

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.