Cuprite

specimen number:
8822004

location:
Red Dome mine, Chillagoe, Queensland, Australia

description:
Lustrous deep red cubic crystals of cuprite to 0.7 cm in size on a massive cuprite matrix. The prominent crystal is in good condition. With strong backlighting these do show slight translucency.

The Red Dome Mine, located near Chillagoe in far north Queensland, Australia, was a major open-cut gold and copper producer that operated primarily from 1986 to 1997. Geologically, the deposit is situated within the Paleozoic Chillagoe Formation near the major Palmerville Fault, representing a complex intrusion-related skarn and porphyry system. Mineralization formed through the interaction of Permian-Carboniferous felsic intrusive rocks with carbonate-rich sedimentary sequences, producing extensive garnet and pyroxene skarns that host significant accumulations of gold, copper, and associated base metals.

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