Specifications
Description
Locality: Bou Azzer District, Ouarzazate Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco
Skutterudite is a cobalt arsenide, CoAs3, with some nickel and iron often taking the place of cobalt. It was named in 1845 for its type locality, the Skuterud mines at Modum in Norway. It is tin-white to silver-grey with a metallic lustre, often tarnishing grey or iridescent, and is heavy, with a density of about 6.5. Its crystals are cubic, growing as cubes, octahedra or dodecahedra.
The Bou Azzer district lies in Morocco's central Anti-Atlas, about 120 km southwest of Ouarzazate. Its cobalt, nickel and iron arsenide ores occur in a body of serpentinised Neoproterozoic ophiolite, a slice of ancient ocean floor, mostly along contacts between the serpentinite and harder rocks such as diorite. Geologists still debate when and how the ores formed.
According to the mining company Managem, the deposit was found after the French industrialist Jean Epinat saw arsenate minerals for sale in Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fna square in 1928. Local people used cobalt arsenate minerals against insects and rats. Artisanal mining began in 1932 and industrial mining in 1934, and Bou Azzer remains a cobalt mine today.
This one of a kind Skutterudite mineral specimen from Morocco features a broad, metallic gray crystal-lined surface with a rugged, sculptural form. The specimen is covered in bright silver to steel-gray Skutterudite crystal aggregates, showing reflective cubic and modified crystal faces across the main display side. A few pale white to translucent prismatic crystals are tucked into the cavities, adding contrast against the darker metallic matrix and giving the piece a striking, high-shine collector quality.
Skutterudite is a cobalt arsenide mineral first named after Skutterud, Norway, one of its classic localities. It forms most often in hydrothermal vein environments and is commonly associated with cobalt, nickel, arsenic, and silver-bearing mineral systems. Moroccan Skutterudite is especially associated with the Bou Azzer mining district, one of the world’s best-known cobalt districts and a famous source for metallic arsenide minerals and unusual collector specimens.
Spiritually, Skutterudite is often associated with grounding, protection, strength, and focus. Its dense metallic appearance gives it a steady and powerful presence, making it a mineral many collectors connect with resilience, discipline, and energetic stability. It is sometimes viewed as a stone for staying centered, working through challenges, and maintaining practical focus.
Chemical Composition: CoAs3
Skutterudite is a cobalt arsenide (CoAs3) and contains arsenic. Handle with care, wash your hands after handling, do not lick or ingest, and keep away from children and pets.
Quantity: 1pc
With this product, you will get the actual stone in the photograph.