I’ve posted beautiful crystallized copper from Australia in this latest Australian Copper Update (click here). These are branching aggregates of crystals from the Rocklands Mine near Cloncurry, Queensland.

Copper was discovered in the area of present-day Cloncurry in the late 1860s, and many mines have been operated in the district since then. This a semi-arid and hot region, with temperatures sometimes exceeding 50C – these are tough prospecting and collecting conditions! The Rocklands Mine was a relatively recent producer, with the first operations beginning in 2005. It was an open pit operation that exploited a significant sulphide zone and a much smaller oxide zone. These copper specimens were collected during a specimen recovery project in the oxide zone from August to October, 2017. The Rocklands Mine is no longer in operation.

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 7.3 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 8.6 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 6.2 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 6.2 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 5.5 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 4.8 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 3.6 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 4.4 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 6.5 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia –  8.0 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 6.0 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 5.1 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 6.1 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 6.3 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 5.1 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 4.7 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 7.0 cm

Copper, Rocklands Mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia – 3.3 cm