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Lapidary / Gemstone Community Forum
May 24, 2013, 03:46:43 pm
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Santa Rita Copper Ore Cab

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Ajo
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« on: May 29, 2011, 01:46:37 pm »
I finished this a few hours ago. I picked this material up yesterday in Bisbee. It's from the Santa Rita mountains here in Arizona. It's a chrysocolla/ mixed copper ore. It has deep blue-purple metallic area's that are soft. It has the tendency to under cut a bit in this area. It is hard to see from the picture, but the dark spots in the cab are the blue metallic area's. I am going to go out on a limb and say it could be Covelite. Any other guesses? The cab also has a heavy feel to it. It was hard to polish. I cabbed it on my genie up through 14,000 diamond. Final polish on smooth leather with tin oxide. Any thoughts on how to stop the undercutting? Thought it was neat stuff. Ajo.
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Eric

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« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2011, 02:29:31 pm »
Eric, you are right on it being neat stuff! I have had the same problem, with this type material, so I'm no help with the undercutting issue. Maybe some sort of stabilization first?
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« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2011, 04:06:23 pm »
Boy you didn't waste any time with that, did you?!?!  I think it's pretty!
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« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2011, 05:09:16 pm »
The really deep blue appears to be azurite to me.  I have some azurite cabs that the azurite looks blue-purple and almost metallic blue.
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« Reply #4 on: May 29, 2011, 05:31:52 pm »
The April issue of Rock and Gem Magazine had electric blue azurite from Mexico on the cover.  I'm betting it's azurite, also.
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« Reply #5 on: May 29, 2011, 08:14:14 pm »
In my experience, azurite is a lighter navy or lapis-blue than the areas on that cab. Azurite also should not have a metallic sheen on it, and covellite can be more purplish than blue at times.

I'll throw my $.02 in with yours, Eric, and second the covellite ID!

Interesting material for sure.

And I think undercutting and difficulty polishing are par for the course with most copper-ore rough. The only question is if the hassle is enough to dissuade you from working such beautiful material!
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« Reply #6 on: May 29, 2011, 08:28:06 pm »
I thought it was azurite at first, but it's really metallic. I have seen malachite and azurite cabs from many different locations. This is metallic purple- steel blue, like gun metal blue. I wish I could get a better picture. What ever it is, it's pretty. When I bought the rough, I knew it would have it's challenges. I like cutting it. Ajo.
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« Reply #7 on: May 29, 2011, 09:00:29 pm »
Maybe tenorite?
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« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2011, 12:43:44 am »
Wow... Beauty cab !  yes
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« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2011, 11:08:00 am »
Every since I first saw a cab of Covellite I have wanted a slab. Rarer than hen's teeth and when you can find it super expensive.
This cab is a beauty Eric whatever her name may be:)
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