Well-known combination of Azurite and Malachite from rare location: Sepon mine in Laos

When collecting minerals, for many not only the species is important, but certainly the location. Sometimes the location is even more special than the mineral per se. A notable example is the combination of the secondary copper minerals azurite and malachite from the Sepon mine in Laos.

The unique Sepon mine in Laos

The Sepon gold and copper mine is located in south-central Laos, in the Vilabouly District of Savannakhet Province, 235 km east of the city of Savannakhet and 40 km north of the city of Sepon. More specifically, this rare piece comes from the Khanong Open Pit (quarry) near Sepon.

Although the combination of azurite and malachite is found in many places around the world, the Sepon mine is a very special location. Material from this location is rarely seen on the market.

Khanong Open Pit copper and gold mine

The Khanong Open Pit copper and gold mine was opened in 2003 and consists of about 3 open pit copper mines and 18 gold pits (most of which are already depleted). As of 2021, Sepon is owned by Chifeng Jilong Gold Mining Co. and operated in partnership with the Lao government (which owns a 10% interest) as Lane Xang Minerals Limited, or LXML. Lane Xang refers to an ancient name for the kingdom of Laos and means “The land of a million elephants.”

A changing focus in mining

The initially extensive gold mining has since declined considerably as ore reserves were depleted. In fact, in 2013 the gold plant was largely shut down and the Sepon operation concentrated on copper mining. Copper operations began in 2003 by processing ore from the Khanong open pit with an average of 5.4% Cu. Additional open pits were mined until 2020, after which copper production was largely discontinued and the gold plant was restarted.

Rare appearance on the European market

If this material can leave the country of Laos at all, it often heads for China. Occasionally this material enters the European market, for the first time at the Sainte-Marie-Aux-Mines Mineral Show in 2015.

Thanks to Ed from PristineMinerals, I was able to add this rare piece to my collection.

Characteristics of the Azurite and Malachite from Sepon

What is unique about this piece are the bladed azurite crystals that contain a core of pseudomorphic malachite, with the outer azurite layer being only very thin. The specimen weighs 292 grams and measures 64 x 61 x 48 mm, with the largest azurite crystal at 8 mm.

This particular specimen is part of the collection of Rolf Egberink (#1340) and is registered under MinID 2Q9-LMF.

Note: Specific features of the Sepon mine

No specimen-quality azurite has been found in the Khanong Pit since mid-2015. Many specimens supposedly from Sepon Mine or Laos are probably from China. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the very specific characteristics of this locality, such as the matrix of iron oxides and the thin layer of azurite over the pseudomorphic crystals.

The rare combination of azurite and malachite from the Sepon mine in Laos is a unique and fascinating subject for collectors and mineral enthusiasts. Thanks to the rarity and specific characteristics of the minerals from this location, they are a valuable addition to any collection. However, pay close attention to the provenance and characteristics of the specimens on offer to ensure that you are getting your hands on an authentic piece from the Sepon mine.