Azurite with Malachite (uncommon locality)

Item Description

There are many localities in Arizona where fine quality Azurites are found, but it's not common to find many good pieces from Ajo on the market. That's not to say that the species was rare from Ajo, you simply don't see many of them out there. My favorite aspect of Ajo Azurites is that they are unique in the sense they do not resemble Azurites from anywhere else in Arizona. The style/habit of the crystals is certainly distinctive, and I would say that once you know what you're looking at, it's easy to spot an Azurite from Ajo. This piece is a wonderful small cabinet display specimen featuring many sharp, well-formed, lustrous, blocky, rich blue colored crystals measuring up to 1.8 cm, associated with minor Malachite. There is a no matrix, and the piece is crystallized all over, save the base where it was removed from the pocket wall. Overall the piece is in excellent condition, with no major damage that I can find. I love the almost "serpentine"-esque curving form of the specimen, giving it much more three-dimensional appeal than a lot of other Azurites you'll see from the locality. This piece dates back nearly 50 years to 1975, and once belonged to the legendary New York City mineral dealer, Larry Conklin. I would put a value on this one of around $3,500 retail.