Milpillas Azurite
Milpillas Mine, Sonora, Mexico
Deep electric-blue azurite crystals with a glassy lustre, sharp enough to look almost synthetic.
Stewardship Records
- Locality confirmed as Milpillas Mine, Sonora.
- Currently in a collection; provenance dossier available on inquiry.
Formation
Azurite forms in the oxidised zones of copper ore deposits, where copper minerals weather in the presence of carbonate-rich groundwater.
Azurite's blue is best kept out of strong light; an Archive piece belongs in a protected, well-considered vitrine.
Significance
The Milpillas Mine in Sonora, Mexico, produced, over a relatively short window, some of the finest azurite crystals ever found — intensely coloured, lustrous, and sharply formed.
Because production has largely ceased, fine Milpillas azurite is now sought after by collectors and institutions.
Azurite can slowly alter to green malachite over geological time; well-preserved crystals with sharp faces are especially valued.
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