Azurite with Malachite (famous pocket!)

Item Description

Aesthetic and sculptural azurite and malachite miniature from the well-known early 1980s Perkins Sams Pocket at famed Tsumeb of a very particular style unique to this pocket compared to all others over 100 years of mining: Much of this well formed crystal of azurite has been altered by lustrous and iridescent dark green malachite. The termination still exhibits the wonderful, dark, neon blue color so famous in Tsumeb azurites. Sharp, intergrown, highly lustrous midnight-blue tabular azurite crystals are partially pseudomorphed by sparkly malachite. Charlie Key said that he bought the entire pocket and then sold it to a wealthy Texasn - the pocket was characterized by such blocky partially pseudomorphed azurite crystals that reached up to a large 10 cm or more. Well-known wealthy Midland, Texas oilman, Perkins Sams, acquired much of the pocket and therefore it was informally nicknamed after him. Perkins assembled a world-class mineral collection in an amazingly short time in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the help of expert consultants such as Dave Wilber; and by purchasing the entire collections of prominent collectors. The oil-boom ended in 1982, he lost much of his wealth and sold his 600-piece collection to the Houston Museum of Natural Science in 1985. See: https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/samsperkins-d/ for more information on Mr. Sams. A very fine large miniature example from this famous Tsumeb find. Very few got away from the purchase of this entire pocket. Seldom on the market. Valued $2500. From the Keith Williams Collection of miniatures and small cabinet specimens - Keith was a well known dealer and collector for decades before retiring recently.