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Description
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Campbellite copper cab ~
Offered here is a large, stupendous collector's cabochon of RARE campbellite. The original campbellite specimen I acquired was said to have been found decades ago at about the 1,800 foot level of the Campbell Mine in Bisbee, AZ, from which this mineral it takes its name. The mine was flooded many years back, so it's a very safe bet that no more campbellite of this quality will be available in the forseeable future. Most campbellite, long coveted by collectors, was smuggled out as specimens in miner's lunchboxes, who risked their jobs carrying pieces to the surface rather than seeing them lost to the ore crushers.
This cabbed example obviously includes bright metallic native copper of very high purity, visible as wild plumage that shoots through the stone. Campbellite is typically composed of a variety of minerals, but only rarely do any specimens ever show plumes. I, personally, have never seen ANY to rival this one, no kidding! Other metallic plumes in this stone are dark grayish silver, probably a lead-zinc blend. Between the gleaming coppery plumes are splotches of blood red cuprite, and at either end of the stone there are areas of lovely turquoise blue chrysocolla. There are also flecks of whitish calcite & quartz, and blackish tennorite & manganese too. It was a real challenge to photograph this beauty because cameras simply don't see the same way human eyes do. For the main photo and the 4th showing the backside, I used direct lighting. The other photos were taken with both direct and reflected lighting. This stone is remarkably heavy in hand, surprisingly so, due to its high metallic content. It is cut in a freeform 'crescent' shape, with a high rounded dome of 7mm, smoothly polished both front and back.
Size: 46x20mm
Weight: approximately 103 carats
Price: SOLD
Current gemstone offerings
 Campbellite
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