Bornite, Wollastonite

This specimen of bornite with wollastonite comes from the Copper King Mine, part of the historic Whitehorse Copper Belt near Whitehorse, Yukon. The belt hosts numerous skarn deposits formed where Cretaceous intrusions met surrounding limestone, producing a wide variety of copper ores. Mining in the district began in the early 1900s and continued intermittently until 1982, making it one of the most important copper-producing areas in northern Canada.

At Copper King, iridescent bornite often occurs with fibrous wollastonite, a distinctive association that reflects the skarn origin of the deposit. This particular piece comes from the noted collection of Dr. Peter Tarassoff, further enhancing its historical and collector value.