Native Copper: Rocklands mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia
Native Copper: Rocklands mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia
Description
Species: Native Copper
Locality: Rocklands mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia
Dimensions: 10.5 x 4.5 x 2.2 cm.
SOLD
By now, native copper from the Rocklands mine in a remote part of Queensland, Australia has become well-known to most mineral collectors, due to the large quantity of material coming on to the market starting around 2017 when a major European dealer got the rights to do a specimen mining project at this relatively new (circa 2012) high-grade copper mine. While most copper recovered from the Rocklands mine from 2017 to now has been characterized by spongy to finely filligreed masses of small twinned copper crystals, early in the mine’s operation, a small number of superb to world-class crystallized copper specimens were found. This excellent, highly-aesthetic copper specimen has wonderful ‘balance’ and aesthetic form, featuring large, elongated spinel-twinned native copper crystals to 7+ cm forming a cluster without matrix. Specimens showing stout, more robust copper crystals like this are quite unusual for Rocklands and this fine example displays well from numerous angles. An exceptional example of the finest crystallized coppers produced at the Rocklands mine during a brief window at the start of the mine’s life. Mark Cross photo.
