Detailed information
Dimensions
94 x 54 x 57
mm
Locality
Ural Mountains Siberia Russia
Condition
No recorded repairs
This old-time specimen of Azurite crystals lining a distorted Azurite nodule is labelled simply as the Ural Mountains, Russia. However, it possibly originates from the Mikheevskoe Copper deposit in southern Russia, a mine only about 50 km from the border with Kazakhstan. The 10.2 cm long nodule forms a geode-like structure, with a twisted, approximately 1 cm thick shell of inwardly crystallised inky-azure blue Azurite, lined with fabulous deep inky-blue Azurite crystals with a bright glassy lustre. There is an occasional surface alteration to emerald-green Malachite, but this is sparse, together with a patchy dusting of tan-buff Calcite micro-crystals. The specimen is accompanied with a small, old card label, hand stencilled 'AZZURRITE xx'. From anywhere this would be a terrific Azurite nodule, but from the Ural Mountains it is exceptionally fine.