Detailed information
Species
Natrochalcite
Dimensions
75 x 52 x 47
mm
Locality
Chuquicamata District Calama, El Loa Province Antofagasta Region, Chile
Condition
No recorded repairs
This extremely rich large miniature to small cabinet specimen of the rare sodium copper sulphate hydroxide hydrate mineral Natrochalcite is from the Type Locality at Chuquicamata District, Antofagasta Region, Chile. Fine green glassy crystals of Natrochalcite measuring to 4 mm, heavily invest three sides of the pale cream matrix on this specimen. The colour is quite distinctive - reminiscent of Zincolivenite. It has an interesting heritage, some of which is gleaned from previous photographs of this specimen on Mindat.org. The specimen bears a 'FOOTE, PHILAD'A' typed label which, based on the date that Natrochalcite was named - 1908 - must be Warren M. Foote, who took over his father's business in 1895. His business was beginning to fail in 1908, but the price tag of $15 shows that he was still dealing in high-end specimens. The label can be seen in the video, and pausing it allows it to be seen easily. It has been stated elsewhere that this specimen was from New York State Museum and was part of a small batch of specimens from George F. Kunz in 1880, but the dates simply do not stack up. It may well be that the museum bought the specimen from directly from Foote. Another old handwritten label accompanying the specimen may well be the museum's own label. In more recent times, it resided in the Lawrence Conklin collection of rarities from whom it passed to a famous German collection. The quality of the Natrochalcite crystals is really rather excellent, but then the best material came from these very earliest finds.