Azurite pseudomorphing to Malachite

Item Description

A beautiful old-time example of the classic pseudomorphs of Azurite and Malachite from Tsumeb. This specimen hosts a very sharp, lustrous, deep midnight blue colored crystal of Azurite measuring 3.1 cm, and you can see that one end of the crystal is contacted/exposed to reveal that it is pseudomorphing to forest green Malachite internally. Typically Azurite will alter to Malachite from the exterior and work its way to the central portion of the crystals, but this piece is essentially pseudomorphing in reverse, as the majority of the Azurite is unblemished on the outer faces, which are still very well-formed, smooth and bright. With strong backlighting, you can actually see a bit of glowing indigo color coming through the Azurite crystal, which is noteworthy for the thickness. A few small nicks can be seen on the top of the Azurite, but it's still an attractive and good quality specimen of these beloved pieces from one of the greatest mineral localities in history. Valued at $1,500-$1,800. This piece comes from the collection of Colorado mining legend, Dave Bergman. Dave is now retired from mining, but spent many years underground, including as the foreman and primary person in charge of recovering specimens at the famous Sweet Home Mine near Alma, Colorado during the late 1970s. He is also the maternal grandfather of Brian Kosnar. See Dave's photo mining at the Sweet Home on page 58 of Peter Bancroft's book "Gem and Crystal Treasures".