Quartz var: Chalcedony coating Malachite

Item Description

The Messina Mine in South Africa is famous for its beautiful Quartz specimens, particularly those which feature inclusions of other minerals like Ajoite or Papagoite. This piece is a less commonly seen association featuring a white bubbly layer of Chalcedony which is enveloping a stark green colored, fibrous/acicular group of Malachite. The side of the specimen is contacted, but it's fortunate accident in this case, as you can clearly see the Malachite inside. I can't remember seeing a piece quite like this from the Messina Mine before, so if you're a fan of this locality, it's a cool oddball piece to add to your collection, or if you're fan of Quartz / Quartz associations, this is something that I'll bet you don't have in your collection either.
From the collection of David E Ziga, a geologist who graduated Miami (of Ohio) University in 2017, with a mineralogy background. Specimen #149.