Pseudomalachite

specimen number:
2351002

location:
Manto de Cuba Pit, Inca de Oro, Atacama, Chile

description:
Emerald green crystals of pseudomalachite to 0.2 cm in size on matrix. Good example for the species showing individual crystals and not a botryoidal grouping.

The Manto de Cuba Pit is situated within the historic Inca de Oro mining district in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, a region characterized by extensive volcanic and intrusive rocks hosting varied copper and gold mineralization. Locally, the geology features strata-bound, manto-style copper deposits formed within favorable host rocks and structural fault zones, undergoing significant supergene oxidation due to the arid environment. Historically, the district has sustained centuries of small-scale artisanal working as well as modern open-pit operations targeting copper and gold resources. For mineral collectors, the site and surrounding pits have gained recognition for producing fine secondary copper specimens, including striking azurite, malachite, and pseudomalachite.

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