Detailed information
Species
Calcite, Duftite
Dimensions
72 x 97 x 35
mm
Weight
277 g
Locality
Tsumeb Mine Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region Namibia
Condition
No recorded repairs
I just love specimens that are a little out of the ordinary and this funky piece from Tsumeb mine is just that. Looking like a colony of coral picked up from some tropical sea this wonderful small cabinet specimen comprises a bed of parallel tubes of beige coloured Calcite with nicely contrasting orange-brown infilling. Presumably stalactites, each of the tubes has a diameter of just 2 to 3 mm, but combined they make an incredibly artistic display. Should there be any doubt at all that this is mineralogical, and from Tsumeb mine, then the presence of a thin coating of green Duftite (a rare lead copper arsenate species) on the base provides confirmation. That said, I have never seen another like it from Tsumeb. Ex Weyand collection.