Gold, Rodalquilarite

This specimen features gold in a milky white quartz matrix, with some micro gold crystals in the vugs visible only under a microscope. It also includes a very tiny smidge of rodalquilarite, a rare iron tellurite chloride mineral. The specimen comes from the Tambo Mine in Coquimbo, Chile, which was first discovered in 1978 and began production in 1981. The mine uses both surface and underground mining methods, with underground workings reaching a maximum depth of 250 meters. In 1982, the mine had a capacity to extract 620 metric tons of ore per day. The El Indio-Tambo Mill is an important part of Chile's mining industry.