Cuprite Crystal, 11.4g | Rubtsovsk Mine, Rubtsovsky Dist., Altai Krai, Russia

Cuprite crystal specimen, octahedral with opaque silvery-black color and a metallic luster. Collected in the early 2000s, Cuprite specimens from the Rubtsovsk mine in Altai Krai, Russia are among the finest in the world.

Cuprite is a visually striking and scientifically fascinating copper oxide mineral, it produces well-defined cubic, octahedral or dodecahedral crystals. Cuprite forms when copper sulfides oxidize near the surface, usually in arid or well-drained environments.  Cuprite crystals vary in color from deep ruby red, garnet red and metallic black; transparent to opaque. 

• Mineral: Cuprite
• Locality: Rubtsovsk Mine, Rubtsovsky Dist., Altai Krai, Russia
  
• Size: 1.7 x 1.5 cm
  
• Weight: 11.4g
  
• Size category: Thumbnail Specimen

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