Bisbee
Curated by Maggie Liu · Updated:
Bisbee, in the Mule Mountains of Arizona, is one of the world's classic copper-mining districts, celebrated for intensely blue azurite and rich green malachite.
About Bisbeeextended article
Bisbee, in the Mule Mountains of southern Arizona, is one of the most famous copper-mining districts in the world and a celebrated source of fine secondary copper minerals.
The Copper Queen and Lavender Pit
Bisbee's rich copper orebodies — worked from the 1880s through the Copper Queen mine and the great Lavender Pit — formed where copper sulfides oxidised near the surface, producing a spectacular suite of brightly coloured secondary minerals in the limestone host rock.
Signature minerals
Bisbee is best known for its intense blue azurite — 'Bisbee blue' is a benchmark for the species — together with green malachite, red cuprite and native copper. Fine azurite and azurite–malachite specimens from Bisbee are among the most prized of all American minerals.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Bisbee?
Bisbee is a mineral locality in USA. It lies at approximately 31.4500°N, 109.9100°W.
What minerals are found at Bisbee?
Signature minerals from Bisbee include Azurite, Malachite, Cuprite, Chrysocolla. The locality lies in USA, and each mineral links to a full reference entry with formula, crystal system, and collector notes.
What is Bisbee known for?
Bisbee, in the Mule Mountains of Arizona, is one of the world's classic copper-mining districts, celebrated for intensely blue azurite and rich green malachite.
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