Conichalcite on Dolomite

Item Description

A very rare example of Conichalcite in discrete green botryoids on very contrasting white Dolomite. The piece features 1 mm spheres of vibrant green Conichalcite, an uncommon calcium-copper arsenate, richly sprinkled on a matrix of white, sparkling Dolomite. The Conichalcite balls exhibit a lovely satin luster and the Dolomite crystals are nearly a bright white and appear to be just slightly etched as the crystals are almost indistinct. Only a handful of great Conichalcite specimens like this were ever recovered and most of them from the great find on the 43 level! This specimen was memorable! It is from the miniature drawers and rare species suite of the original (first, and larger) Sussman Tsumeb collection, part of which I bought in Chicago from them in the early 2000s, and sold to Erika Pohl through the Van Scriver family at that time. It is a choice, rich, beautiful miniature of this species which otherwise is not well known from Tsumeb. It was something the Sussmans were very proud of in the suite of fine rare-miniatures they built in the 1990s-2000s.