Chalcopyrite, Quartz

Two sides of this specimen present a cluster of quartz crystals adorned with chalcopyrite and minor pyrite. The reddish hue of the quartz is notably due to a surface coating of red iron oxides. The chalcopyrite has a thin coating of an unknown maroon mineral. In some spots they are coated in a less well-formed secondary chalco crystallization. Specimens from this region often showcase hematite-spotted milky white quartz crystals, commonly associated with galena, dolomite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, and even siderite. The hematite spots, typically small and round, are concentrated near the crystal terminations and may be found as inclusions or encrusting the quartz surfaces (as in this case). This small cabinet piece originates from a famous iron mining region in China, known historically as the birthplace of the Chinese Bronze and Iron Ages. Very little contact, other than the side contact where the specimen was collected from the wall of the mine.