Detailed information
Dimensions
78 x 97 x 46
mm
Weight
669 g
Locality
Lucky Friday Pocket, 402 -1000 Level Flambeau Mine, Ladysmith Rusk County, Wisconsin, USA
Condition
No recorded repairs
The Flambeau mine at Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wisconsin, USA was a relatively short-lived operation, from 1993 to 1997, but during that time it became an American Classic for its exceptional crystals of Chalcocite. The deeper deposit is massive sulphide, which was left unworked, but on top lay a highly enriched supergene copper sulphide ore within which occasional pockets were encountered which contained probably the finest Chalcocite specimens known from North America. This oxidation zone was entirely removed and the mine backfilled meaning that there will be no repeat discoveries, but thankfully the mine operators allowed a collector to remove the best crystallized specimens for preservation. This magnificent crystallized specimen comes from one of the most famous discoveries at the mine, on 402 - 1000 level, which one can only presume was made on the last day of the week. The Lucky Friday Pocket contained the finest of the crystallized Chalcocite. Cabinet in size, this piece is one of the largest crystallized specimens to have been collected and has all of the superb features for which this locality renowned, including wonderful surface iridescence and large complex platy crystals. Often labelled simply as Chalcocite, it is most likely that Bornite either as surface alteration, or complex intergrowths, is what is causing the iridescence and purple hues.
