Cobaltoan Calcite with Malachite and Chrysocolla

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When people think of Cobaltoan Calcite they most likely have visions of an extremely vivid, almost neon pink colour with a bright glassy lustre, but this cabinet-sized specimen from Kolwezi mine in the Dem. Rep. of Congo provides an entirely different perspective. Its colour is perhaps best described as 'angel delight' pink, and if you are not familiar with this term make sure you search for the strawberry flavour and then you will recognize the colour! Like the dessert, this specimen looks delicious. Not only is the Cobaltoan Calcite an unusual colour, but so too its shape is intriguing, forming what look-like cockcomb aggregates of parallel elongated scalenohedral crystals, but with an outer layer of smaller glassy stepped Calcite crystals. These crystals present extremely well, with no visible damage, and concentrated in two areas of the surface are deep green aggregates of Malachite, with one area appearing to represent a hollow epimorph. Beneath the Cobaltoan Calcite is very pale blue Chrysocolla, providing another nice soft pastel colour alongside the pink. A really fascinating and unusual specimen from the D.R. Congo.