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

Item Description

Every now and again, unique specimens from a new locality will appear on the market, that are truly unlike anything we've seen before. That's certainly the case with these attractive, unique and beguiling Azurite specimens which are true oddities in the mineral world. These pieces were found several years ago near what some call the "roof of the world", and they are truly one of the last things you would expect from the area. They come from 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 and completely natural. This piece features dozens of "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 carved into a one-of-a-kind shape, and polished to show off the Azurite better. It's not often we see secondary copper minerals like this, especially in a district that's better known for producing pegmatite species. 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, and one of the biggest pieces of the material that we've had to offer, weighing in at a whopping 1,681 grams (3 pounds, 11 ounces).