Small, Brilliant Blue Azurite Suns On Rock - Australia

Azurite is a deep blue copper-based mineral produced by the oxidation of copper ore deposits. Azurite suns are a unique formation of this mineral, only found in a single mine: the Malbunka Copper Mine in Australia. These suns form between layers of a clay mineral called kaolinite (the white matrix the suns are on).

They are thought to have been formed by hydrothermal fluids carrying copper ions through bedding planes in the rock formation. Carbonate molecules and copper ions in the groundwater nucleated around mineral grains in the kaolinite, which caused the azurite to crystallize. Because the azurite was forced to grow in a laterally-compressed and radiating manner along preferred bedding planes, the azurite grew uniformly outward, often producing circular shapes.