SONORA SUNSET SPECIMENS

Sonora sunset (also known as sonora sunrise) is the trade name for a blue, green, black, and red mineral formation collected from the Milpillas Mine in Sonora, Mexico (copper ore mine). While this mine is known for its high quality azurite, chalcocite, chrysocolla, cuprite, malachite, and pyrite mineral specimens (and many more), it also produces this gorgeous material, which miners would come across occasionally during mining. It is a combination of blue-green chrysocolla, vibrant red cuprite, and occasional streaks of black attributed to iron oxidation. Commonly, the material is cut in a specific orientation, where blue-green and red portions are separated by black to give the appearance of a green landscape with a red sunset/sunrise sky.