Szenicsite

Item Description

From the type locality, this is a nicely displayable and rich example of th very rare molybdenum species Szenicsite. It features unique, adamantine-pearly crystals. This species was discovered in an isolated area, approximately 1 cubic meter in size, wherein the crystals occurred in cavities in a matrix rich in Mo and Cu-bearing powellite. Per Alex: Purchased from Terry Szenics, with his label, signed by him on the back and dated. Szenicsite is a copper molybdate mineral found at a small copper mine in 1993 in the Inca de Oro area of Chile’s Atacama Desert. It was found on one level of the mine for a brief period of a week and never again. Some after its discovery the level was backfilled and covered with overburden. While most of the mines in the area are typically copper or copper-gold mines, the Jardinera Mine was totally unique in that it contained a substantial amount of molybdenite laced in the pockets with high-grade copper ore. The molybdenite is the parent mineral that forms two molybdate minerals, szenicsite and powellite. A surprising new molybdate mineral since molybdenum doesn’t like to combine with other elements in nature to form mineral compounds. Szenicsite specimens are scarce and rarely offered in the marketplace, especially of display quality.