Quartz on Chrysocolla on Calcite - image 1

Quartz on Chrysocolla on Calcite - image 2

Quartz on Chrysocolla on Calcite

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Yes, this Quartz-Chrysocolla cabinet specimen is truly as gorgeous as it looks, like sparkling blue glass! Transparent, sparkling, drusy Quartz crystals completely cover turquoise-blue spires of Chrysocolla that are hosted in a vug within tan colored, coarsely crystalline Calcite. The drusy, scintillating Quartz crystals are transparent and the druse itself is quite thick, probably a few millimeters and slightly subdues the intensity of the turquoise-blue Chrysocolla underneath, but only enhances the visual appeal of the piece. The underlying Chrysocolla is very three-dimensional given the relief of the Quartz-Chrysocolla knobs at 1 to 2 cm in height! It is reported that the Chrysocolla from this area is actually replacing Malachite which explains the elongated nature of the Chrysocolla. The deposits in this area became exhausted in the early 2000s thus terminating the supply of these specimens in quantity, but smaller artisanal production continues here and in claims nearby.