Kinoite - Christmas Mine, Arizona

A striking specimen of rare kinoite from the historic Christmas Mine near Hayden, Arizona. The display face is richly covered with vivid blue, vitreous kinoite crystals, approximately 1 mm in size, creating exceptional colour contrast against the pale matrix. Scattered colourless apophyllite crystals add further mineralogical and visual interest.
Kinoite is an uncommon copper silicate, and the Christmas Mine is particularly famous among collectors for producing fine crystallized examples of the species. With the mine now abandoned and collecting prohibited, older specimens from this classic locality are increasingly desirable. 
The intense electric-blue colour, extensive crystal coverage and classic locality make this an excellent representative example of kinoite.

Mineral: Kinoite
Locality: Christmas Mine, near Hayden, Gila County, Arizona, USA
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Mineral Class: Silicates
Provenance: Ex Allan Ingelson Collection
Dimensions: 4.5 × 5.5 × 3 cm