Cuprite with Quartz and Chrysocolla - image 1

Cuprite with Quartz and Chrysocolla - image 2

Cuprite with Quartz and Chrysocolla - image 4

Cuprite with Quartz and Chrysocolla - image 5

Cuprite with Quartz and Chrysocolla

Unknown Owner

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Cuprite from this famous mining district in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is considered the best in the world for combination of luster, sharpness, and internal brightness. There attractive miniature features one larger, better exposed crystal sitting atop another crystal that is mostly hidden and in nearly parallel growth. The top crystal measures 1.6 cm on edge and is about two-thirds exposed and the smaller one has a perfect octahedral point revealed. Both crystals are set in a drusy white quartz-lined vug with moderate amounts of admixed, blue-green chrysocolla for excellent contrast. They require backlighting, but when lit well, they literally glow like a ruby. The exposed portions of the crystals are pristine and they display excellent luster. Great contrast and composition! Jack purchased this from his favorite dealer aligned with his own aesthetics, Ken Roberts, at the time they came out in the 1980s.