Cerussite (reticulated twins) on Malachite (recent discovery)

Item Description

This piece is from a recent find (2022) at the Palabanda Quarries at Mfouati in Republic of Congo. While we've seen Cerussite from various discoveries in the Bouenza Department and the Pool Department, these specimens are distinctive as they feature an 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 sharp, well-formed, lustrous, white reticulated twinned crystals of Cerussite measuring up to 8 mm across, sitting on dark green botryoidal Malachite matrix. I love how several of the Cerussites creating "halos" or "crowns" around the Malachite "balls". There are a few small imperfections here and there, so not all of the Cerussites are 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.