Bornite coating Pyrite (fine quality) (ex Rose and Phillips Collections)

Item Description

Typically at the Milpillas Mine, copper takes the form of Azurite and Malachite, but the "sulfide" zone produced some attractive specimens of Bornite coating Pyrite. Some of the exposed crystals will show a golden metallic Pyrite core underneath the Bornite. This fine miniature display piece features a sharp, somewhat lustrous, silvery metallic crystal of Bornite after Pyrite measuring 2.8 cm perched atop white Dickite matrix. I love the fact that the faces of the Pyrite are still so well-preserved and distinct. No damage and quite showy as you can see. These are GOOD specimens, and should be recognized as such. Milpillas will never produce more specimens as the mineralized part of the mine is done, so don't pass these up, because like most localities, the material goes away fast once the locality is finished. From the collections of Erik Rose and Dr. Barratt Phillips.