Cuprite with Chrysocolla

Item Description

Cuprite is found in hundreds if not thousands of world localities, but if someone asked you to make a list of some of the top localities for the species, the famous Mashamba West Mine has to be near the top of the list. For many years, some of the most attractive and fine quality examples of the species ever found came from this mine, often found with beautifully contrasting blue to blue-green Chrysocolla, making for one of the best eye-catching color combos in the minerals world. This attractive small cabinet specimen is filled with many very sharp, well-formed, octahedral crystals (some of which show cubic and dodecahedral modifications) of Cuprite measuring 1.1 cm associated with minor pale blue Chrysocolla. When backlit the Cuprite crystals show the classic blood red color for which Cuprite is known, and the majority of them are quite gemmy on this piece. Most of the Cuprites are in good condition, but a few of them are incomplete where the piece was separated from the pocket wall. A beautiful specimen of this classic and somewhat hard to find material. Priced at $2,500 retail in our inventory. From the collection of Colin Manlove, with a label stating that piece one belonged to Gilbert Gauthier, the great Belgian mineral dealer who procured many superb minerals from various mines around DR Congo (Zaire at the time). You can read Gilbert's biography at http://75.103.110.205/labels.asp?colid=646.