Plancheite (Type Locality - rare) & Dioptase

Sanda Mine, Mindouli, Pool Department, Republic of Congo
Small Cabinet, 8.0 x 5.5 x 2.9 cm
Start Time: 01/11/2013 12:00:00 am (CST)
End Time: 01/17/2013 6:30:00 pm (CST)
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Item Description

Plancheite is an uncommon hydrated copper silicate first described from the Sanda Mine in 1908. This showy, excellent, rich and hefty combination copper ore specimen features pretty powder-blue, plancheite botryoids strikingly complimented by lustrous, translucent, deep emerald-green, dioptase crystals to 7 mm. The sides reveal the banded, radial growth nature of the plancheite and malachite and chrysocolla are also visible. Hefty, rich copper ore at 179 grams. Ex James Zigras Collection. The French mined this locality from 1948 to 1960 and this piece undoubtably dates to that time. Plancheite specimens of this richness and combination quality are RARE.

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