Malachite

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The Katanga Copper Crescent in the Dem. Rep. of Congo is famed for spectacular specimens of Malachite, large and small, and in stalactitic forms and huge solid masses suitable for carving and polishing. However, just when you think that you have seen every variation in shape something magical comes along and that is this piece from the famous L'Etoile du Congo (Star of Congo) mine. When I saw this I was taken to a world of make-believe, imaging a Dr Zeus book or some other-worldly story. With a rippled and dimpled surface it really is a fascinating and remarkable stalactite whose growth it is hard to explain, but rest assured it is entirely natural. Its tip is undamaged and its other end is a sheared surface where it was once attached to the roof of an open cavity. Isn't nature miraculous? This specimen comes complete with a custom-made acryllic Sunnywood display stand.