Azurite on Malachite

Item Description

A special and bright piece! This striking and sculptural azurite and malachite pseudomorph is from the 2013 finds at this now-famous mine. The specimen features a glorious thin layer of "electric-blue" azurite that, when bruised, reveals the underlying velvet malachite, which has pseudomorphed the large, sharp, lozenge-shaped azurite crystals. This transition captures the chemical and environmental changes over time, essentially documenting the evolutionary process where an increase in pH transformed azurite into malachite from the interior outwards—a geological "book" recorded in solid state. This specimen is particularly notable for its robust size and the aesthetic display of colors. The azurite coating is thin, allowing the rich, saturated colors of both minerals to contrast beautifully, neither too dark nor too light. As this locality is soon expected to shift its focus from carbonate minerals to base metals, specimens like this one will become increasingly rare, making this an especially valuable piece. Ex Jingnan (Tom) Zhang.