Malachite on Calcite

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From the Tsumeb mine in Namibia, a stunning sphere of rich dark leaf green Malachite offset from a matrix of crystallised white Calcite. The Malachite forms a single, slightly distorted botryoidal ball measuring up to 3.5 cm wide at one point, with a glistening crystalline surface of velvet-like texture. This contrasts wonderfully against the pure white Calcite crystals which are typically 1 to 1.5 cm wide with a highly flattened rhombic habit. Under low magnification (say, x5) the surface texture of the Calcite appears as micro-rhombohedral stacked plates with a bright silky lustre. An unusual yet magnificent form of Malachite from Tsumeb.