Cerussite (reticulated ''snowflake'' twins) on Malachite

Item Description

An attractive specimen from a recent discovery (2022) at the Palabanda Quarries in the Mfouati area of Republic of the Congo. These pieces are certainly different from other's we've seen from Mfouati, as they feature a style of crystallization unlike anywhere else in the country, along with the attractive combination of Cerussite on Malachite. I'm told that there isn't any actual mining taking place at Palabanda currently, but the locals have been poking around the edges of the quarry, trying to find anything of value to sell. There are not many examples of this material from any locality in either Republic of Congo or DR Congo, so this was an exciting and refreshing discovery for those who are fans of secondary ore minerals. This piece hosts many sharp, well-formed, lustrous, white reticulated twinned "snowflake"-shaped crystals of Cerussite measuring up to 8 mm across, sitting on dark green, velvety botryoidal Malachite matrix. There are a few small imperfections here and there, so not all of the Cerussites are 100% damage free, but they are still fun to view up close, as the morphology is very attractive. I don't know if there will be more of these going forward, so don't miss out.