Clinoclase

specimen number:
2062653

location:
Majuba Hill Mine, Pershing Co., Nevada, USA

description:
Lustrous deep blue crystals of microcline replace covering an area 1.4 x 1.4 cm in size on matrix. In good condition, nice example for the species collected in the 1980s.

The Majuba Hill Mine in Pershing County, Nevada, is a historic mixed-metal deposit initially worked around 1914 with significant production periods during World Wars I and II for copper and tin. Geologically, the site is centered on a complex rhyolite porphyry intrusive stock and hydrothermal breccia system that cut through older sedimentary rocks, marked by intense tourmalinization, silicification, and extensive oxidation. This weathering environment created a rich secondary mineral assemblage containing over one hundred mineral species. Among these is clinoclase, a rare and striking deep blue secondary copper arsenate mineral that formed through the oxidation of primary copper and arsenic ores within the deposit.

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