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[Rosemaryr]

So I am working on shaping some pieces, when I started on two that really took me aback.  One was a piece of turquoise that was covered in almost solid pyrite matrix.  The other was a piece of chrysocolla from my dad's hometown of Ray, AZ.  When I started grinding away at the turquoise, I was immediately covered in black ink (which I should have expected if I thought about iron pyrite at all).  But what amused me even more was the bright orange residue from the tan matrix of the chrysocolla.  Thought I would share the amusement....and wonder what would make it orange?  Any clues?

[Scalebar]

I cut my first piece of chrysocolla this weekend. I assumed the orange came from copper 1 compounds - mine had distinct red-brown components.  It was odd stuff to work with - wildly varying hardness with the various minerals the red areas were extremely soft which might fit with cuprite.

[Rosemaryr]

I cut my first piece of chrysocolla this weekend. I assumed the orange came from copper 1 compounds - mine had distinct red-brown components.  It was odd stuff to work with - wildly varying hardness with the various minerals the red areas were extremely soft which might fit with cuprite.

Cuprite would certainly make sense.  I just thought that cuprite would be much more red than brown.  Live and learn!