Copper pseudomorph after Azurite ("Copper Rose") with Malachite

Here we have showy and sculptural pseudomorph of the famous "Copper Rose" specimens from New Mexico. The piece is more "open" than most you'll see from this locality, as it's not as much of a tight rose, per se, but rather a broad open blossom. The piece is highlighted by several sharp, distinct, well-formed blades flaring in several directions, giving the piece a robust three-dimensional quality. As you can see the surface is almost completely coated by mint green Malachite, and I can see a small amount of drusy off-white Calcite on the reverse side along with a light blue mineral which could be either Turquoise or Chrysocolla. A great representation of these famous old pseudomorphs from the Copper Rose Mine.

These specimens are some of my favorite minerals in the world. They are unique in the fact that they are not only pseudomorphs, but what makes them so rare and special is the fact that you have a native metal replacing a mineral that contains that metal. Essentially these specimens started out as a deposit of Native Copper that was oxidized and combined with carbonate molecules to form crystallized "rosettes" of Azurite. Then a second deposit of Native Copper arrived, which completely coated and replaced the preexisting Azurite. It is, to the best of my knowledge, the only instance in the mineral world where a specimen starts out as a native metal, alters to a secondary mineral in an oxidized zone of said metal, and is eventually replaced by the same native metal, essentially taking it back to its original state. This is why the "Copper Roses" from New Mexico are so extraordinary.

Specimen # CUNM72008