Detailed information
Species
Native Copper
Dimensions
140 x 110 x 26
mm
Weight
550 g
Locality
Tur'inskii Mine, Tur'insk Turya river, Serovsky District Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia
Condition
No recorded repairs
In the early history of mineral collecting in Europe the finest crystallized Native Copper specimens came from an undisclosed source in Russia, often labelled as 'Catherinberg'. Subsequently, stunning crystallized Native Copper has been found in almost every continent, but there is something special about this original 'premier' locality. The site is now known to be the Tur'inskii mine in Serovsky District, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia and specimens are identifiable by their association with white 'marble' within which the spectacular dendritic crystals of Native Copper sit. Usually, examples are small cabinet in size at most, but this remarkble specimen from Martin Kershaw's Collection (no. 346) shows how large these dendritic sprays get. Although the Native Copper is tarnished (obviously due to its considerable age), the contrast upon the white 'marble' is clear, and the Native Copper crystals are something to behold too, with plenty of superb detail to be studied.