Enargite

specimen number:
2354010

location:
West Colusa Mine, Butte, Montana, USA

description:
Good thumbnail of this Montana classic with lustrous metallic crystals of enargite measuring to 0.3 cm in size on matrix. Slight damage present, the prominent crystals are in good condition.

The West Colusa Mine in Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana, USA, is a historic underground mine situated within the Boulder Batholith, a massive granodiorite igneous intrusion. Formed during the Late Cretaceous epoch, the local geology features rich hydrothermally deposited vein systems containing high-grade copper sulfide minerals such as enargite, chalcocite, bornite, and covellite. Established in the late 19th century as Butte developed into one of the most prolific copper-producing districts in the world, the mine was operated for decades by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company and played a key role in supplying metal for the expansion of electrical infrastructure. For mineral collectors, specimens from the West Colusa Mine are sought after for their well-formed copper-bearing crystals and associated gangue minerals like quartz and pyrite, offering classic examples of the rich mineralization that earned the region its nickname as The Richest Hill on Earth.

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