Cuprite on Chrysocolla

Item Description

From the famous Mashamba West Mine, this is an attractive and classic combination for the locality. The matrix is coated with light, blue-green Chrysocolla, and sitting perfectly in the middle is a cluster, almost a rosette, of lustrous and sharp Cuprite crystals. The overall size of the pocket is about 2.5 cm across. There is a hint of red when lit well, but the crystals are low-lying and it difficult for light to really penetrate as we see on more upstanding Cuprites. Nonetheless, the contrast between species creates a good aesthetic for this representative, small-cabinet specimen. Obtained long ago from the legendary Belgian exploration geologist Gilbert Gauthier.