Detailed information
Species
Cuprite
Dimensions
37 x 52 x 32
mm
Weight
65 g
Locality
Mashamba West Mine Kolwezi mining district Lualaba, DR Congo
Condition
No recorded repairs
This super miniature Cuprite specimen is from the famous Mashamba West mine in the Kolwezi mining district, DR Congo. It features several, sharp, deep purple coloured, glossy, somewhat flattened Cuprite crystals. The largest reaches an impressive 1.6 cm across and has no damage, but has small (to 1.5 mm) crystals of cerise pink, rhombic Cobaltoan Dolomite growing on the surface in one small area. In fact, all of the Cuprite crystals are in superb condition, with great, somewhat flattened cubo-octahedral form. The presence of small, pink, Cobaltoan Dolomite crystals is a nice additional feature, and a massive, to powdery, pale blue coating of possible Chrysocolla also adds to the colour balance. Opencast since the late 1970s Mashamba West mine now forms part of the larger Sicomines copper-cobalt project.