Quartz-coated Chrysocolla after Malachite - image 1

Quartz-coated Chrysocolla after Malachite

Unknown Owner

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Much material has come out of late to the carving and lapidary market, from a place called Kalume. Note that the location actually seems to refer to a group of mines in the area, not a specific mine. From specimens of thick, solid rough that went to the carving market, Arizona lapidary master Budd Standley bought a lot of this material several years ago and was able to make "fusion carvings" of polished matrix with crystallized examples preserved as part of the whole. Here we have a sharp crystal of azurite replaced by malachite, replaced again by chrysocolla, and covered in sparkling quartz candy coating. This one he kept back for himself and thought was one of the best crystallized examples with a good matrix for polishing, as well. It is collector quality, with exquisite workmanship to polish the rock matrix and leave the sparkling crystals atop intact. The crystal atop looks like a cube of sugar, in blue! It is approx. 1.4 cm on edges, and literally looks like a sugar cube sitting in sparkles. Amazing in person, a camera simply cannot capture what the eye or video sees. Truly breathtaking in person, this is a unique object of mineral art.