Gemstone necklace - Sonora Sunrise ~ incl. 2mm leather cord in antique brown for knotting.

A very rare rarity in fantastic quality, also an extremely thick stone in a special shape

Of course you will receive the stone pictured

Origin: USA - Arizona

Sonora Sunrise - a colorful copper ore
Minerals: Chrysocolla, Cuprite and Tenorite

This colorful rock comes from the Milpillas Copper Mine, which is located west of the town of Cananea in the Sonoran Desert of northern Mexico. The small mine produces only a small amount of material, which is why the stones have fetched high prices since they were introduced to the market in 2006.

Depending on the mineral distribution, the colors vary from a dark reddish brown with olive-colored spots to black zones with a metallic shimmer, which are patchwork-like mixed with blue and green zones of closely interwoven minerals. Using X-ray methods, the green-blue areas were identified as an intergrowth of the copper sulfate brochantite with the green copper silicate chrysocolla. The brown to orange-red areas consist of the copper (I) oxide cuprite, which in turn has grown together with the black copper (II) oxide tenorite.

This mineral composition is typical of the oxidation zone of copper-bearing, sulfidic ore bodies. Copper oxides such as cuprite and tenorite form through oxidation from various copper sulfides or native copper. Brochantite and chrysocolla are typical secondary minerals that are often formed by infiltration of sulfur and silicon-containing solutions associated with hydrothermal processes.

Each of these copper minerals on their own is not necessarily rare or spectacular. However, their combination makes this rock a rarely colorful gemstone. The extraordinary splendor of colors is most beautifully displayed in the cabochon cut, which is why the material is primarily used to make jewelry.



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"A stone is the condensed history of the universe"

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