Novacekite

specimen number:
2063587

location:
Cuervo Mine, Aldama, Chihuahua, Mexico

description:
The top of this matrix is covered with micro crystalline gypsum, rich throughout yellow crystalline novacekite. In good condition. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark

Situated near Aldama in Chihuahua, Mexico, the Cuervo Mine is a small uranium-bearing deposit hosted in volcanic sedimentary strata where secondary oxidation of hydrothermal ores produced a rich assortment of rare uranium and arsenic minerals. Late-stage oxidation within fractures and small solution cavities allowed brilliant yellow-green tabular crystals of novacekite to precipitate as a secondary species, often associated with other uranium-bearing minerals like metanovacekite and autunite. Mining activity in the mid-twentieth century primarily targeted uranium exploration, but the locality gained fame among mineral collectors for producing well-formed crystals of novacekite that display intense fluorescence under ultraviolet light. Although the site is now inactive and modest in size, early specimens recovered from the Cuervo Mine remain highly prized in mineral collections as classic representatives of Mexican uranium mineralogy.

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