Primary Malachite

Unknown Owner

The Mashamba West mine is so famous amongst collectors it feels like it has existed forever, but surprisingly the mine only began operations in 1978. This specimen of primary Malachite is quite exquisite as it forms an almost perfect ball of curved triangular crystals which overlap and spiral around its spherical surface. The crystal geometry gives a rose-like appearance of a bud unfurling to just reveal the folded petals. The triangular crystals measure up to 1 cm on edge and are semi-translucent bottle green with a glassy lustre and lighter, yet dark grassy-green over their terminations which have a velvety-matt lustre. The Malachite appears to have nucleated around a Calcite core, mixed with pale powder sky-blue Plancheite or Shattuckite, which can be seen in the base. An amazing habit and fine specimen of primary Malachite from the Mashamba West mine in the Kolwezi mining district of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.