Tuesday Update – Peru

THIS week, we start our updates with a South American theme, focusing on new mineral discoveries from Peru. Three localities are featured with specimens for you to peru[se]: Milpo mine in Atacocha mining district, Pasco province; Tentadora mine, Huancano District, Pisco Province; Canta District, Canta Province.

Milpo mine in the Atacocha mining district near Cerro de Pasco is a seriously high altitude silver-lead-zinc-copper mine. The city of Cerro de Pasco is itself about 4000 m above sea level making it one of the highest cities in the world. The Milpo Mining Company operates two mines: Atachoca and El Porvenir, both of which are epithermal polymetallic deposits that are linked underground and so, often considered as one. Exploration and mining has been ongoing from the early years of the 20th century right through to modern times but it is only recently that really significant mineral specimens have been produced.

The defining mineral at Milpo mine for collectors is Fluorite, as distinctive green octahedral and cubo-octahedral on bright, golden Pyrite, but with the extremely rare lead sulphosalt, Geocronite-Jordanite, also forming important crystals too.

In the Canta District a mountainside exposure of ‘alpine-type’ veins discovered in about 2015 produced some nicely crystallized Axinite-(Mn) with a little acicular Epidote in association, but in 2024, a cavity containing exceptional, large, fan-like sprays of olive-green acicular Epidote with sharp bladed, pale brown Axinite-(Mn) crystals and needle-like Quartz crystals was found. Our specimens come from this recent find and are world-class for this style of needle-like Epidote. Do join us then.

Then, finally, the Chrysocolla from Tentadora mine is a real oddity, like no other Chrysocolla I have seen and extremely attractive. Added to it is the mystery surrounding this mine, with two completely different localities reported online, recording it in separate provinces. Our sources place this copper mine in remote mountains in Huancano District, Pisco Province with the specimen having been mined in 2023/2024. Very few specimens of this quality were recovered and the few that made it out are now highly cherished by their lucky owners.

On Friday we head, out of this world, with a selection of meteorites.

Please note: Today's featured specimens are situated at both our US and UK showrooms.