Detailed information
Species
Quartz, Malachite
Dimensions
60 x 77 x 46
mm
Weight
144 g
Locality
Tenke-Fungurume area Kolwezi mining district Lualaba, DR Congo
Condition
No recorded repairs
The DR Congo continues to produce not only classic minerals, but also some wonderful new discoveries such as the Quartz-coated Malachite from Tenke-Fungurume area in the Kolwezi mining district. This small hand-sized display specimen is an almost perfect example of the aesthetic qualities of this new combination. With the ability to be displayed in a number of orientations its siliceous, Quartz-rich matrix exposed the internal mechanism for how the wonderful green 'flowers' of Quartz have come to be. For, as the greyish transparent Quartz has grown and crystallized, in patches, so too have small sprays of acicular Malachite grown simultaneously, with the green Malachite encapsulated within and overpowering the original colour of the transparent to translucent Quartz to produce glassy green sprays. The fact that the green Malachite-included Quartz has formed as individual isolated sprays surrounded by greyish Quartz crystals only adds to its aesthetic charm. A really top quality smaller display specimen from this new discovery.