Azurite with Malachite (ex Chet Lemanski Collection)

Item Description

The Blue Grotto Mine (Prospect) in Utah is famous for producing some of the most attractive Azurite "roses" for any locality outside of Arizona. These are some of the most well-known minerals from any locality in Utah for their excellent size, color, luster and quality. This piece is a particularly attractive and fine quality miniature featuring "rose" groups comprising sharp, lustrous, bladed crystals of Azurite associated with minor velvety green Malachite on matrix. No real damage of note on the display side, and a fantastic miniature of these classic and now very hard to find Azurites. For reference, this locality was mined out in the 1980s, so no more will be found like this. Valued at $950. From the collection of Chester ("Chet") S. Lemanski Jr. of Browns Mills, New Jersey (https://www.mindat.org/user-461.html). Chet was born 1947 in started collecting minerals circa 1957. He worked briefly as a drill runner at the famous Sterling Mine, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey and from 1987 to 1990 he helped convert the mine into a public access mining museum. He has held the role of treasurer, vice president and president of the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society (FOMS), and has been a board member and vice president of the Franklin Mineral Museum. The rare copper arsenate, Lemanskiite was named in his honor in 1999.