Native Copper: Onganja mine, Seeis, Windhoek, Namibia

Description

Species: Native Copper, Malachite

Locality: Onganja mine, Helen Farm 235, Seeis, Windhoek, Namibia

Dimensions: 6.5 x 4 x 4 cm.

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The Onganja mine in Namibia is best-known for it’s world-class, giant cuprite crystals, arguably the best of species. Less well-known but also outstanding are the fine example of well-crystallized native copper which were briefly found in the 1970’s around the same time as the great cuprite discovery. Similar to the cuprites, these fine copper specimens have all but disappeared from the modern mineral specimen marketplace, it seems. This is a fine, aesthetic example featuring sharp cubo-octahedral to dodecahedral copper crystals to over 1.5 cm. forming a cluster without matrix. Minor green malachite really adds some contrast to the nice, dark red natural cuprite patina on this specimen. A great example of a scarce Namibian mineral classic. Ex. David New. Annette Slade photo.