SHATTUCKITE
Specimen sha-4

Dims: 2.0 x 1.5 x 1.0" (5.0 x 3.8 x 2.6 cm)

Wt: 1.9 oz. (54 g)

New Cornelia Mine, Ajo, Pima County, Arizona, U.S.A.

Several patches of tiny Shattuckite crystals rest in veins that run through the pink-brown host rock of this specimen. These crystals do not exceed 1 mm in length and are too fine to effectively study even under a loupe. They have a beautiful, sky-blue color and a dull silky luster. There are also some patches of massive Shattuckite in the veins, but these veins are made up mostly of other secondary copper minerals such as chrysocolla (var. bisbeeite) and ajoite (named after the area in which this locality resides). Most of this other material is massive, but some of it is in the form of fibrous crystals similar in size to the Shattuckite.

Dims: 3.4 x 2.1 x 1.4" (8.5 x 5.4 x 3.5 cm)

Wt: 6.0 oz. (170 g)

New Cornelia Mine, Ajo, Pima County, Arizona, U.S.A.

Several small patches of fibrous Shattuckite rest on the brown siliceous base of this cabinet specimen. The Shattuckite shows some fibrous, radial habit and a moderately deep blue color, but most of the patches are badly crushed or decayed, showing a paler blue. All have a dull luster. Surrounding the Shattuckite are larger patches of massive bisbeeite (a variety of chrysocolla) and ajoite. I cannot tell these two minerals from each other on this specimen, however.

Dims:3.5x2.9x1.8" (8.9x7.4x4.6 cm)

Wt: 10.6oz. (300g)

New Cornelie Mine, Ajo, Pima cty., Arizona

This specimen consists of fibrous, pale blue shattuckite crystals resting on a matrix with numerous bluish-green ajoite crystals. All of these crystals are tiny, and a loupe is necessary to study them. I cannot be sure, but there appears to be some minor chrysocolla on this specimen as well. There is no damage to this piece.

Dims: 3.41x2.01x1.78" (8.66x5.10x4.52cm)

Wt: 4.90oz (139g)

New Cornelia Mine, Ajo, Pima County, Arizona, USA

While this piece may contain more blue-green ajoite than sky-blue shattuckite, the shattuckite shows much better crystallization, apparently having formed on top of the ajoite in cavities within the host rock. The shattuckite has a radial growth pattern of acicular crystals, and a loupe shows that the natural crystal ends (undamaged surfaces) have a relatively deep blue, while the sides of the sprays appear much lighter blue in color.