Malachite pseudomorph after Azurite (fine rare locality specimen)

Item Description

A superb matrix specimen of this rarely seen material from the Sir Dominick Mine in South Australia, Australia. This piece was mined in 1984 and was purchased by Dave Bergman at the Tucson Show the following year. Matrix specimens are especially difficult to find from this locality in my experience, especially full-sized cabinet display pieces. Several chatoyant / slightly velvety green Malachite pseudomorphs after Azurite (with the largest crystal measuring 1.8 cm) can be seen sitting on the top central part of the underlying oxidized matrix, with additional smaller spots of minty-green Malachite sprinkled throughout. No damage that I can see, and the piece displays beautifully. If you collect secondary ore minerals, copper species, or minerals from Australia, this is something that is rarely available on the market and would make a stellar addition to your collection. This piece comes from the personal collection of Colorado mining legend, Dave Bergman, the maternal grandfather of Brian Kosnar. Dave is now retired from mining, but he worked for decades in various mines underground in Colorado, as a miner, mechanic, engineer, shift boss and foreman. His biggest claim to fame is that he was the foreman and the primary person in charge of mining and specimen recovery at the Sweet Home Mine in Colorado in the 1970s alongside his son-in-law, Rich Kosnar. This project what was the FIRST ever operation for specimen recovery at this historic locality. A full-page photograph of Dave can be seen mining underground at the Sweet Home in on page 58 of Peter Bancroft's book "Gem and Crystal Treasures".