This is a Chrysocolla on Quartz from the Tentadora Mine in Peru. Chrysocolla is a cooper mineral that will frequently grow alongside azurite and malachite. They will sometimes “pseudomorph” each other, meaning one stone will take over or replace the other stone. This mine is particularly well known for it’s distinct and isolated chrysocolla nodules that are hind to find most other places.
This particular piece has good definition and color with some places approaching gem silica (chrysocolla and chalcedony/quartz combo). One of my favorite parts about this specimen is you can see the channel that some mineral rich water flowed through near the bottom of this crystal. There are some well formed quartz crystals underneath all that copper and can even still see that structure on some of them, like the main black copper one.
This piece measures approximately 8.1 x 7.2 x 5.5 cm and comes with a display card listing the mineral name and locale.
