Phurcalite and Meta-torbernite, Los Azules Mine, Copiapó, Chile

Mineral Matters #408

This week’s Facebook Mineral of the Week Group’s selected theme is uranium minerals.

I quite like uranium minerals. They can be very colourful and well-formed, and the amount of radioactivity is negligible. Mine are generally only micros with small crystals, and mostly encased in plastic boxes.

I happened to photograph one earlier today for an upcoming Monthly Mineral Chronicles article. And, as often is the case these days, I found another Hidden Collection addition.

The specimen is labelled with meta-torbernite (green platy crystals) and phurcalite (tiny yellow crystals that fluoresce). Also on the specimen are some colourless quartz crystals, including some as sceptres, and the matrix appears to be possibly andradite(?) garnet. But the really intriguing thing is a platy crystal that is a similar habit to a single torbernite crystal, but it is completely colourless! Its on the left hand side of the photo below. See also the closeup in the second photo.

Below: Phurcalite, Metatorbernite, Quartz, Unknown, San Miguel prospect, Los Azules mine, Quebrada San Miguel, Copiapó, Copiapó Province, Atacama, Chile. Width of view 6mm. Click on the image for a higher resolution version.