Azurite on Olivenite w/Bayldonite from Namibia, Oshikoto Region, Tsumeb

Azurite on Olivenite with Bayldonite

Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region, Namibia

5.6 x 6.8 x 6.3 cm

ex. Bard, Neufeld, Amo, Zindel, Jahn

This is a striking cabinet specimen showcasing a superb association of three copper-bearing secondary minerals. At the heart of the piece, lustrous deep-blue azurite crystals dominate the composition, displaying well-developed monoclinic form with glassy, mirror-bright terminations. The largest crystals exhibit intense cobalt-to-midnight blue coloration — almost gemmy in quality — with reflective faces that catch light dramatically.

The matrix is richly coated in a carpet of olivenite microcrystals, presenting in their characteristic olive-brown to reddish-brown drusy crust of minute orthorhombic crystals. Their earthy, warm tones provide a beautiful contrast to the vivid azurite, and the density of the crystal coverage suggests excellent preservation of the oxidation zone mineralogy.

Bayldonite — a rare copper-lead arsenate — contributes the green coating and encrusting masses visible across the specimen’s exterior.. Its presence alongside olivenite hints at a lead-rich local environment within the deposit’s oxidized zone, making this an unusually complex and mineralogically significant association.