Copper pseudomorph after Azurite ("Copper Rose")

This is a good-looking thumbnail sized "floater" pseudomorph of Copper after Azurite (commonly called a "Copper Rose") featuring a group notably sharp, well-formed, bladed crystals on all sides. The piece is complete and undamaged all around with a lovely antique patina on the surface. A great representation of these unique classic specimens from New Mexico.

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 # CUNM72010