Chrysocolla with Malachite

Item Description

A great display piece and a very attractive overall specimen from this famous mine. The display side of this piece shows dozens of botryoidal groups of Chrysocolla which look like molten plastic (and odd luster for the locality), with an intense, deep robin's-egg blue. Yes, this is a natural specimen of Chrysocolla. The piece formed in layers showing thin "bands" of green Malachite in the few contacted areas. You can actually see that the Malachite is wedged between two layers of Chrysocolla, with a DARKER blue layers at the core of the piece. I believe there is a bit of grey-black Heterogenite on the piece as well, but it's not confirmed. This was a find from many years back from the tremendous copper-producing L'Etoile du Congo Mine in Democratic Republic of Congo. The odd luster certainly makes it distinctive, as most of the Chrysocolla from this locality has a much softer / matte luster.