Quartz on Chrysocolla

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Colourful and sculptural in form, this beautiful pale blue specimen of Chrysocolla stalactites encased in finely crystallized Quartz is a proper classic from Arizona, from the famous Ray mine. This combination is both striking in colour and wonderful in form, and pre-dates the recent finds of Quartz coated Chrysocolla in the Democratic Republic of Congo by many decades. At small cabinet in size this piece is a very good size for display and shows many intact stalactites, but also an area where their internal form can be studied in cross-section. This reveals that the Chrysocolla varies from deep green at the core of the stalactites but grades outwards to turquoise-blue which when coated with finely crystallized colourless Quartz imparts a similar turquoise-blue colour through the Quartz. This is both fascinating and beautiful, but specimens of this quality are very rare indeed.