PERU!

I was in Peru about a month and a half ago buying specimens, here is the main update.  Of particular note was a new find of rare clinoatacamite on chrysocolla coated quartz-- the crystals on most of these are highly lustrous and very distinct, unlike most of the earlier examples.  For a rare mineral, they are actually quite beautiful.  There was also a new find of bright purple amethyst (I only brought back a couple pieces, there werent many, and most were far too damaged.)

In general, the story from Peru remains the same-- better explosives and increased mechanization have largely ended the flow of sulfide specimens from many of the classic ore localities, though projects undertaken specifically for specimen recovery (the Lilly Mine, Racracancha, Palomo, Angelina, Pasto Bueno/ Mundo Nuevo) continue to yield specimens.  Of those, Mundo Nuevo is currently dormant, and Palomo and Racracancha have not produced anything for some time.  Regardless, with enough searching, there are always pretty rocks to be found