Primary Malachite on Quartz

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Already the world's centre for 'Primary' Malachite, the DR Congo has recently thrown up another fantastic source. Exceptional finds at Mindingi mine in Kambove District, DR Congo, have really opened our eyes to what a quality mineral Primary Malachite can be. The prefix 'Primary' is rarely used for minerals, and in this instance denotes that the crystals take their own crystallographic form rather than a replacement of other minerals. They are still, however, secondary in origin, formed within a supergene environment, but their formation is exceptionally rare for Malachite on a world scale. This stunning cabinet display specimen shows this quality in abundance with large (up to 9 mm) triangular, almost sphenoidal Primary Malachite crystals covering a bed of Quartz crystals. The Primary Malachite crystals are semi-translucent deep bottle green to forest green with a glassy to velvety lustre reminiscent of Libethenite, such is their quality. This larger specimen from this new find is brimming with superb world-class crystals for this rarely seen form of Malachite, with no damage to be seen.