Azurite on Malachite (Circa 1900) - image 1

Azurite on Malachite (Circa 1900) - image 2

Azurite on Malachite (Circa 1900)

Unknown Owner

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The famous Copper Queen Mine was the star of Bisbee, as far as the collecting community was concerned, and produced the most famous large azurite specimens to be distributed around the world at the turn of the 1900's by dealers like AE Foote. There were many styles of azurite produced there, including druses and crystals of varying shapes and sizes. Other finds and mines here produced sharper and larger crystals, per se. But this particular style, with glistening and royal blue rosettes of azurite perched upon velvety malachite, is certainly the most desired form from the Copper Queen itself; and would have to be considered THE stereotypical "top shelf" azurite style of the day. Today, few turn up, only from old collections. We have seen several fetch incredible market prices. This is a rather good size, and features half a dozen azurite clusters of top luster and sparkliness, perched on the intense green malachite. Some of the malachite is bruised or rubbed, on the edges, but the azurites themselves are in perfect condition. The large cluster atop is 2 cm across, and its terminations stand above the matrix for 3-dimensional display. This is a specimen from the early 1900's, that Valenzuela, Frank obtained in trade from another collector perhaps 30 years ago. Joe Budd Photos.