Cuprite on NATIVE Copper

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This small cabinet-sized specimen of Cuprite with Native Copper is from a rarely seen locality in Peru - Cobriza mine in the remote Churcampa Province, Huancavelica. The mine has a long history, dating to its discovery in 1866, but significant underground mining didn't start until 1967, but it was not until 1982 that operations expanded significantly and mining has continued since that time. Supergene oxidation of the ore body resulted in Native Copper and Cuprite near surface, but this ore was very limited, making specimens rare. This unusual example comes from David Hardman's superb worldwide collection of Native Copper. It is unclear if it came out in the early 1980s, or if he acquired it more recently, but it is rare stuff.