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Baryte With Chalcopyrite

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GND35751

Baryte With Chalcopyrite

Description Tabs

Description
Locality: 
Olympic Dam Mine, Roxby Downs, South Australia, Australia
Size Range: 
Miniature (4.5-7 cm)
Size: 
5.2 × 4.3 × 3.7 cm
Description

This a very rare locality specimen as specimens rarely make it out of this huge underground mine. The Olympic Dam mine is the largest single deposit of uranium in the world, the 4th largest copper and the fifth largest gold mine. Mining is carried out largely by very big machinery and the ore is crushed underground and any crystals are usually shattered by blasting. Management also actively discourage collecting for safety reasons. This specimen is one that passed all those hurdles.

It consists of a single crystal of honey coloured baryte showing some points of attachment and is coated in places by a crust of small crudely formed chalcopyrite crystals. The crystal is transluscent in places and unfortunately has suffered some chips and scratches, but considering the limited supply of specimens, this is somewhat acceptable. You will probably not see one of these for sale again for a very long time.

Mineral Data
What's on the rock

Baryte

Formula: 
BaSO4
Strunz: 
7.AD.35
Hardness: 
3.0 - 3.5
Streak: 
White

Chalcopyrite

Formula: 
CuFeS2
Strunz: 
2.CB.10a
Crystal System: 
Tetragonal
Hardness: 
3.5 - 4.0
Gondwana Minerals