Malachite (Primary)

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MAJOR specimen for the locality, for malachite as a species here! This specimen, on massive red cuprite, features several, extremely lustrous, dark, emerald green, malachite crystals to 1.0 cm across. Mesmerizing! Despite its mineralogical wealth of copper based minerals, Tsumeb seems to have failed to produce good malachite specimens as primary crystals - although of course it is common enough as replacement of azurite crystals. This crystal habit, showing primary malachite crystallization quite different than the pseudos, is sharp, lustrous, and has incredibly rich color. Discrete crystals of "primary" malachite are much rarer than those that are pseudomorphs after azurite. If not for the cuprite matrix (stained with minute bits of cuprian adamite, for extra proof!), and Charlie's immense knowledge of the locality, I would have sworn this was from another mine entirely.