Plancheite from Shinkolobwe, Kambove Territory, Haut-Katanga, DR Congo

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Nice thumbnail for the species, the front of this matrix mostly covered by blue velvety crystallized plancheite. Slight damage present as seen.Located in the Haut-Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Shinkolobwe deposit is hosted within folded and faulted Proterozoic sedimentary rocks of the Mine Series, consisting primarily of dolostones, shales, and silts. The geology features deep hypogene veins containing primary black ore below the water table, while supergene alteration near the surface produced an extensive suite of brightly colored secondary mineral crusts and crystals. Discovered in 1915 by Robert Rich Sharp, the mine began formal operations in 1921 under the Union Miniere du Haut Katanga. It became historically famous for supplying the high-grade material used in the Manhattan Project during World War II. Due to safety hazards and depletion, the site was officially closed in 2004, though it remains world-renowned among mineral collectors as the type locality for numerous rare secondary species.