Malachite

Item Description

A beautiful "flower"-esque group of velvety rich green Malachite crystals on minor matrix from the famous Katanga Copper Crescent in DRC. The label states that this is a pseudomorph of Malachite after Barite, but this is essentially impossible because Barite is nearly chemically inert, and anything caustic enough to dissolve Barite would certainly destroy the Malachite. I admit that the habit could fool somebody into thinking this was originally Barite, but it's most likely a pseudomorph after monoclinic Azurite crystals, which have a similar appearance to orthorhombic Barites in some cases. Additional radiating "balls" of Malachite make for a nice touch, and it's just an attractive overall specimen, so don't miss out.