Chrysocolla on Malachite

Unknown Owner

This lovely large miniature specimen displays the classic bubbly, botryoidal form of Chrysocolla on Malachite from Mashamba West mine in the Kolwezi mining district, DR Congo. Now part of the Sicomines copper-cobalt project, this openpit mine started in 1978. Fine Chrysocolla specimens started to appear on the market during the early 2000s, but numbers have been limited. This specimen has great character, with the botryoids reaching 1 cm in diameter and displaying a rough matt surface texture. The colour is a pale turquoise blue, but underneath the colour intensifies as shown in cross-section on the back of the specimen, with green Malachite forming the core.