Shattuckite with Malachite

Item Description

Here we have very eye-catching specimen of these fine quality specimens from the Tantara Mine in DR Congo. These pieces came from a single find in 2011, and they represent some of the finest examples of Shattuckite ever found. The only other specimens from this mine were apparently collected in the 1930s by Belgian mineralogists/geologists, and nothing else was found for decades. They are very exciting pieces for any collector of copper minerals, secondary ore minerals or minerals from the Congo. This piece features beautiful spherical groups of sky blue Shattuckite forming a very aesthetic and sculptural specimen associated with minor green Malachite in a couple spots. I love how one of the Malachite clusters actually forms a "bridge" in one of the openings of the Shattuckite. When you rotate the piece around, you'll see that there is a darker blue color on the back, which could be an indication that the lighter blue material could be something like Plancheite and the darker blue is actually Shattuckite. I'm told that no more of these specimens will be found, as the part of the mine that produced them is completely gone.