Copper + Pyrite

This specimen consists of copper mineralisation and pyrite hosted within a quartz vein, collected from the Canaan area of the Tasman District, a region historically associated with small-scale base metal occurrences.

The pale quartz vein cutting through darker host rock represents hydrothermal mineralisation, where hot, mineral-rich fluids moved through fractures in the rock and deposited sulfide minerals as they cooled. The brassy yellow metallic flecks are consistent with pyrite, while the duller yellow–green to brown tones are typical of copper-bearing minerals, possibly altered near the surface through weathering.

Such specimens are valuable for demonstrating:

• Vein-style mineralisation

• The association of copper with iron sulfides

• Geological processes related to hydrothermal fluids in metamorphic and sedimentary terranes

This piece is representative of New Zealand’s lesser-known mineral localities, providing insight into the country’s complex and varied mineralogical history beyond its more famous goldfields.

53 x 38 x 32mm

51g