Libethenite

Item Description

From a well-known huge open-pit copper mine in Zambia that seems to have produced little in the way of specimens except for these world class Libethenite crystals. This is an engaging, single, large, 1.5 cm Libethenite crystal perched eloquently on matrix. The Libethenite has a deep, almost iridescent green color with well-defined, very lustrous pyramidal faces. The pseudo-octahedral (orthorhombic actually) sits front-and-center at the top of the light olive green altered limestone matrix. Specimens of this quality came out in the 1970s, and this mine closed in the 1980s. These are considered to be some of the finest examples of this uncommon copper phosphate species for the unusually robust and large crystals produced here. This is a balanced and aesthetic cabinet specimen when most are thumbnails and miniatures, not made for large display style collections. And that is highly unusual! Probably from the 1960s-1970s finds.