The colour of this Cobaltoan Calcite from Mashamba West mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo is exceptional and it features a fine glassy lustre too. However, a couple of scrapes on the surface have significantly impacted the overall quality of what would otherwise be a phenomenal piece, and this is therefore reflected in the price. Nevertheless, pink cobalt-rich, or Cobaltoan Calcite, is just so desirable - little else in the mineralogical world produces such a vibrant colour with a bright lustre to match. Opencast since the late 1970s, Mashamba West mine is widely recognized as having produced the very best coloured Cobaltoan Calcite that the world has seen. The mine now forms part of the larger Sicomines copper-cobalt project.