Despite being quite a common secondary mineral in oxidized copper sulphide deposits very few places in the world have produced large individual Covellite crystals. Of those, two are in the USA - Butte, Montana; Summitville, Colorado. This fine miniature specimen from the latter, and more specficially from Galactic open pit at Summitville, is almost pure crystallized Covellite. The crystals are thin plates, or blades, clustered in a rosette-like pattern with their base being the edge of a vein. The crystals reach 2.4 cm in length. Their colour varies from bronze, indigo blue and purple, but always with a metallic lustre. Dull to their fragile nature, the tops of the platy crystals are slightly abraded and tiny platy fragments spall off occasionally. Nevertheless, this is a fine crystallized Covellite. Ex David Hardman collection, no. 1117, probably obtained by him during the 1970s.
36 x 36 x 26 mm
