Stalactite Mineral Specimens

A Fragile & Fascinating Way to Build a Collection

- BY BOB JONES

This superb stalactite azurite is the best one found in the 1986 find at the Morenci Mine, Morenci, Arizona. Unique Minerals Specimen

Stalactite mineral specimens are odd, uncommon and beautiful. While most rockhounds know about cave formations like calcite stalactites, many find a greater fascination with mineral stalactites that have been formed from other species. Since these specimens are often delicate, rare and visually striking, they are also a unique category for collectors.

COLLECTOR APPEAL OF MINERAL STALACTITES

The beauty of mineral collecting is that it can be as broad or as narrow as a collector prefers. Some focus on specific species, localities or sizes. Collecting stalactite-formed mineral specimens is a more unusual and limited focus. After all, how often do you see a really nice undamaged mineral stalactite? The very nature of such a physical form lends itself to easy damage when you are collecting in a mineral pocket. Any long, slender mineral protrusion hanging from the roof of a mineral pocket would, by its very structure, easily suffer damage. Like the sturdy calcite stalactites we see in limestone caves, mineral stalactites form from dripping waters; however, these form from waters loaded with a mineral other than calcite and feature materials such as chrysocolla, goethite, azurite and malachite.

CHRYSOCOLLA STALACTITES FROM ARIZONA