Azurite

Unknown Owner

A spectacular plate of brilliant blue lustrous azurite crystals measuring to almost 2.0 cm in size. This is crystallized completely all around, there is no attached matrix. Minor malachite is present. The color on this is as good as these ever got from this famous locality. Azurite from the Milpillas Mine in Sonora, Mexico comes from a modern copper operation developed in the early 21st century that exploits a rich oxide and sulfide deposit hosted in limestone. The mine became famous among mineral collectors for producing exceptionally sharp, deep blue azurite crystals, often forming large lustrous rosettes and crystal clusters in cavities within the oxidized zone. These azurite specimens are commonly associated with malachite and other secondary copper minerals formed by the alteration of primary sulfides. Although Milpillas is primarily a commercial copper producer, it is widely regarded as one of the finest modern localities for world class azurite specimens.