Detailed information
Species
Cuprite, Arsenopyrite, Quartz
Dimensions
50 x 51 x 40
mm
Weight
139 g
Locality
Carn Brea Mine Camborne, Illogan Cornwall, England
Condition
No recorded repairs
A historically interesting and scientifically unusual specimen from Carn Brea mine at Illogan south of Camborne in Cornwall. It is not often that we see crystallized Cuprite specimens from Carn Brea mine and it is even rarer to see rich Cuprite crystals (a secondary copper oxide mineral) upon Arsenopyrite (a primary mineral). The Cuprite is richly crystallized, with sharp octahedral crystals reaching 2.5 mm across and lining open cavities within more Cuprite upon Quartz-Arsenopyrite vein material. One of the many previous collection labels (all bizarrely Australian) accompanying this specimen records it as from the 19th century. There is no label present dating to that time, but it would certainly fit with the history of that mine. Ex Malcolm Southwood collection (no. MS 2014.194), ex David Cowan collection and ex George Stacey collection.