Primary Malachite on Quartz

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'Primary' Malachite is an unusual mineral, but one which can, as seen here, be stunningly beautiful. The 'Primary' prefix is rarely used for minerals, and is not, as you might expect, used to denote that it has formed in a primary mineralizing environment, as opposed to secondary alteration. Instead, it denotes that most Malachite occurrences are replacements of other minerals, or show forms - like - stalactites - rather devoid of individual discernible crystals. So, it is extremely rare to see Malachite in its own discrete crystals, other than acicular sprays. This miniature specimen is from a recent exceptional find at Mindingi mine in Kambove District, DR Congo, a find that has really opened our eyes to what a quality mineral Primary Malachite can be. The triangular, almost sphenoidal crystals are remarkable in their shape and measure up to 8 mm across. They are semi-translucent deep bottle green to forest green in colour with a glassy to velvety lustre and are richly scattered across a thin layer of Quartz crystals. The colour, lustre and form of these crystals is such that I have to confess to initially mistaking them for Libethenite, such is their quality. The crystals are free from damage and superb in quality.