Azurite in Granite (''K2 stone'' ''Ketonite'')

Item Description

These are some of the most distinctive/unique and beguiling specimens in the mineral world. They are true oddities, and their intrigue is heightened by the fact that they were found near what some people call the "roof of the world", and are truly one of the last things you would expect from this area. The first started showing up on the market several years ago, and were found near the foothills of the famed K2 mountain, on the border between Gilgit–Baltistan northern Pakistan and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China. When we first saw these specimens, we were convinced that they were fakes, but testing combined with visual confirmation of rough material from several sources on the market has proven that they are indeed genuine. This big cabinet sized piece features "disc" or bubble-like spots of blue Azurite floating against a black and white speckled granite background. The Azurite zones have a notable translucency, as you can see through them to the underlying granite. This piece is polished on all sides to show off the Azurite better, and the piece was cut in a way that it stands on its own without the need for a base. This stuff is strange to be sure, and everybody I showed it to has no explanation as to how it formed. It's not often we see metamorphic secondary copper minerals like this, especially in a district that's better known for producing pegmatite minerals. I have no idea if there will be more of this material, or even how much is out there, so if you want one, don't miss out. It's certainly a cool mineralogical novelty if nothing else. Specimen weight is 760 grams.