CUPROSKLODOWSKITE
Specimen csk-2
$ 35.00Dims: 2.0" x 1.9" x 1.0" (5.1 x 4.8 x 2.5 cm)
Wt: 2.18 oz. (62.0 g)
Musonie Mine, Zaire
Cuprosklodowskite crystals line 3 small pockets on this large thumbnail specimen. They do not exceed 0.2" (5 mm) in length and are only slightly thicker than human hair. Unlike most of the uranium minerals that I have seen, these needles appear to be at least dimly transparent, and they have a generally deeper color than most other Cuprosklodowskite specimens that I have seen. Their luster is pearly and their color ranges from a pale yellow-green to a deep green. The host rock in which they rest is rather interesting in its own right, as there are copper-bearing minerals, uranium-bearing minerals, and minerals that contain both all mixed together in close proximity. There large, pale yellow patches of decayed Sklodowskite and possibly other uranium minerals, patches of densely-packed Cuprosklodowskite needles that appear nearly massive in form, and even the metallic luster of cuprite is visible in one area! Though I have not tested it, I would imagine that this specimen will cause a substantial reading on a radiation meter.