Atacamite
Gemstone Quality Standard
About Atacamite
Atacamite is a rare secondary copper mineral formed through the oxidation of other copper minerals, especially in arid, saline conditions.
It was first described for deposits in the Atacama Desert of Chile in 1802.
Atacamite crystals are bright green, or dark emerald-green to blackish green
Rarity
Atacamite is a rare mineral. Crystal finds have been reported from 6 locations in Peru. All of them are located in southern Peru from Ica to the border with Chile. This part of the Peruvian desert is the northern limit of the Atacama desert.
- Mina Justa deposit, Marcona District, Nazca Province, Ica
- San Luis Alta deposit, Rio Grande district, Condesuyos Province, Arequipa
- Chapi copper mines, La Capilla District, General Sánchez Cerro Province, Moquegua
- Bahai de Ite tailings pile, Jorge Basadre Province, Tacna
- San Pedro Canzas mine, Yauca del Rosario District, Ica Province, Ica
- Lily Mine, Humay District, Pisco Province, Ica
Non-crystalized cutable Atacamite was found in only one mine in the Ica area.
Color
Non-crystalized Atacamite is dark green/blueish
Jewelry-grade material
Small patches of blue and dark green material in white quartz matrix with brown impurities.
Premium jewelry-grade material
A big part of the material consists of blue and dark green material with a smaller part of milky quartz, no brown impurities
Polishable
Atacamite in quartz is a hard stone with little tendency to chip. it can be polished to a beautifull glass-finish.
Availability
Cuttable Atacamite is very rare in Peru. Gemrock has a very small amount of a few kilos of jewelry-grade and even fewer kilos of premium jewelry-grade material. We do not sell our rough rock. We offer custom cabochon cutting for small editions of jewelrs and individual pieces. We sell our material in our own jewelery.
Cutting Quality
Top-cutting-quality is characterized by:
- a polished backside
- a sharp unchipped edge between the backside and the bezel
- a very straight and even highly polished bezel
- a sharp unchipped edge between the bezel and the dome
- a well-shaped dome, not showing any deformation
- Top-quality polish
Pricing
Adequate pricing must take into account the cost factors to obtain top-quality cabochons:
- Difficult acquisition of the very rare material.
- A usual material loss of approximately 90 % of the selected material during the cutting and shaping process.
- The level of experience required by a cutter to produce a flawlessly shaped and highly polished cabochon.
- Our Jewelry Grade (A)
- Our Top-Quality Jewelry Grade (AA)
- Our Premium Jewelry Grade (AAA)
- Market research
Jewelry-Grade Material:
Small patches of blue and dark green material in white quartz matrix with brown impurities.
Cutting Quality:
- Straight bezel (minor irregularities possible), 3 mm high
- Perfect dome (3-5 mm high)
- Edges between bezel and dome, as well as bezel and backside: sharp and crispy, minor chips on lower edge possible
- Backside flat at 280 grit, unpolished
Pricing:
Recommended Retail Price (A): 0.90 USD per carat
Jewelry Grade Color:
A big part of the material consists of blue and dark green material with a smaller part of milky quartz, no brown impurities
Cutting Quality:
- Straight bezel, 3 mm high
- Flat and perfect dome (3 mm high)
- Edges between bezel and dome, as well as bezel and backside: sharp and crispy, minor chips on lower edge possible but very rare.
- Backside flat, at 280 grit
Additionall quality (AA+): polished backside to 3000 grit
Pricing:
Recommended Retail Price (AA): 1.00 USD per carat
AA+: 1.09 USD/c
Jewelry Grade Color:
A big part of the material consists of blue and dark green material with a smaller part of milky quartz, no brown impurities.
Cutting Quality:
- Only cut by our best master cutters
- Straight bezel, 3 mm high
- Flat and perfect dome (1-3 mm high)
- The edges between the bezel and dome, as well as the bezel and backside, are sharp and crispy, with no chips on the lower edge.
Additional quality (AAA+): Backside polished to 3000 grit
Pricing:
Recommended Retail Price (AAA): 1.5 USD per carat
AAA+: 1.59 USD/c
To the best of our knowledge, this material is only available from Gemrock Peru.
Cutting services
Do you need reliable high-quality cutting services for a reasonable price? Are you looking for a service provider that is willing to develop new products according to your requirements? Would you like to get expert advice in order to improve your product? Do you wish for someone to optimize the process and get the most out of your rough? Just talk to us.
Get in Touch
+51 994104206
gemrockinternational@gmail.com