Detailed information
Species
Malachite, Quartz
Dimensions
65 x 97 x 43
mm
Weight
130 g
Locality
Mindingi Mine Kambove District Haut-Katanga, DR Congo
Condition
No recorded repairs
From a new discovery at Mindingi mine in Kambove District, DR Congo, this Malachite-Quartz combination is so distinctive compared to anything we have seen previously from there. A thin vein of white crystallized Quartz extends all the way around this specimen forming a hollow core where the host rock has weathered away, making the specimen feel surprisingly light for its size. The bed of Quartz crystals point outwards around the piece, with one side (the display surface) dotted with eye-catching spherical sprays of velvety dark forest-green Malachite, to 7 mm in diameter, some of which are merged to form botryoidal (grape-like) growths. The rear of the specimen is almost entirely Quartz crystals, with a single isolated 'ball' of Malachite. The Malachite 'balls' present excellent chatoyancy, but it is also their contrast with the white underlying Quartz veinstone matrix that draws the eye. There are just a couple of minor scuffs to the Malachite, but the overall display dynamics of this piece are wonderful.