Boleite

specimen number:
2354293

location:
Boleo, Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur, Mexico

description:
Sharp lustrous blue cubic crystals of boleite measuring to 0.4 cm on edge scattered across the top of matrix. There are at least five prominent crystals present, plus several much smaller ones. In good condition.

The Boleo district near Santa Rosalia in Baja California Sur, Mexico, is hosted within shallow marine sedimentary basins where copper and manganese-rich ore bodies lie above older volcanic and granitic basement rocks. Commercial mining began in the late nineteenth century under French management, utilizing extensive underground workings and local smelting operations that turned the region into a major global copper producer. The district is world famous among mineral collectors as the type locality for boleite, a rare and striking halide mineral. Formed in the oxidized zones of the ore deposits, boleite is prized for its deep indigo-blue color and sharp, perfectly formed cubic crystals that frequently occur in scientific association with related copper and lead halide species.

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