Oro Nativo
Oro is a mineral with formula Au, in the Elementos nativos group. This specimen comes from Near South Park, Alma, Colorado, Estados Unidos and joined the Terrium collection in 2014.
Description
Un Pajarín. Elongate nugget, slightly curved, with smooth surface. Intense metallic lustre and uniform golden-yellow colour. Compact and well proportioned. Noticeable density and weight in hand.
History of this specimen
My first large gold nugget. Recovered in 2014 with a detector from a secondary auriferous deposit at Alma (Colorado), and it came from a collector I trust completely.
About Oro
Although all elements originated outside Earth, gold belongs to the group that exists only thanks to extremely rare and violent cosmic events—such as supernova explosions or neutron-star collisions. Native gold commonly occurs as nuggets, sheets or grains in alluvial deposits derived from hydrothermal veins. Its high density and chemical resistance cause it to accumulate in placer streams. Specimens over 3 g are highly prized for their rarity and for both economic and collector value.
About the locality
The Alma district is one of the classic gold localities in Colorado, active since the mid-19th century. Its placer streams and auriferous deposits have yielded numerous historic nuggets, many preserved in United States collections. Today, although the area is known to contain gold, finding it is complex: prospectors use metal detectors and often spend many hours before locating a piece.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0200
- Composition
- Au
- Name
- Oro
- Variety
- Nativo
- Group
- Elementos nativos
- Category
- Cupidium
- Mine
- Near South Park
- District / Municipality
- Alma
- Province
- Colorado
- Country
- Estados Unidos
- Size (cm)
- 1.9 x 0.6 x 0.3
- Weight
- 3.71 g
- Acquired
- 2014
- Ex-collection
- Francisco Becerra
- Etymology
- From Latin "aurum", the classical name for gold, related to the glow of dawn.
- Quality
- Top
- Value trend
- Al alza
Related specimens
- Analcima — Estados Unidos
- Arsénico (Nativo) — Alemania
- Auricalcita — Estados Unidos
- Boltwoodita — Estados Unidos
- Calcita (Ahumada) — Estados Unidos
- Calcita — Estados Unidos
- Calcita — Estados Unidos
- Carnotita — Estados Unidos