Ash Sambrooks with the world’s largest single crystal of bornite, which is now at the SA Museum.
Jade Gailberger, South Australia’s new mineral emblem Bornite revealed to acknowledge local mining industry, The Advertiser, 29 June 2017
South Australia now has an official mineral emblem, bornite.
The announcement comes after the SA Museum recently bought the world’s largest single crystal of bornite.
A distinctive purple and blue copper mineral, bornite is an ore melted down to make copper.
It is found in mines at Olympic Dam, Wallaroo, Prominent Hill and Kanmantoo and is a major contributor to the state’s economy.
Mineral Resources Minister Tom Koutsantonis said endorsing a state mineral helped to promote interest in SA’s mineral resources industry, mining history and tourism.
“Major finds of copper ore beginning with Kapunda in 1844 underpinned South Australia’s early economic development,” he said.
SA Museum senior collection manager of earth sciences, Ben McHenry, said at 100 cubic centimetres, the specimen was rare and the “biggest and the best that’s ever been found in the world”.
The bornite crystal is now on display at the SA Museum’s exhibition Copper, until July 31. Bornite joins the state’s five other emblems: Sturt’s desert pea (floral emblem), southern hairy-nosed wombat (fauna), opal (gemstone), leafy sea dragon (marine) and Spriggina Floundersi (fossil).
