Malachite pseudomorph after Azurite on Smithsonite (100+ year old specimen)

Item Description

A beautiful cabinet display specimen from Tsumeb dating back over 100 years, with excellent historic pedigree. This piece was discovered in 1922 during a memorial expedition by Charles Palache (1869-1954) the beloved mineralogist from Harvard University, when he spent nearly six months in southern Africa collecting specimens. This expedition was a memorial to Nathaniel Southgate Shaler (1841-1906) a paleontologist and geologist, who served as the Dean of Sciences at Harvard University. The piece comes with a wonderful label detailing the information. Early Tsumeb specimens are quite rare on the market, especially in fine crystallized examples like this. Dozens of fine, well-formed pseudomorphs of dark forest green Malachite after bladed crystals of Azurite measuring up to 1.1 cm long, sit atop a sparkling layer of gentle blue-green colored, botryoidal Smithsonite on matrix. Very good condition, as the large majority of the pseudomorphs are undamaged. It is notably RARE to find these pseudomorphs on Smithsonite from Tsumeb, and I can't really find a comparable specimen from Tsumeb in any database, so if you collect Tsumeb minerals, this is a superb antique specimen featuring a rare association that is a century old! Valued $2,500-$3,000.
From the collection of George Elling, a prominent East Coast collector with the aforementioned label from Harvard, along with a label from the private collection of Larry Conklin. The back of the Harvard label states that the piece was, "Sold by John Betts, and pictured on his permanent museum website, to Daniel Trinchillo, who sold it Lawrence H. Conklin, who sold it to Eugene W. Carmichael."