Smithsonite & Aurichalcite (RARE old combo) Trimingham CoLL

Item Description

An ultra-rare and colorful large combination plate from Katanga. The Kipushi Mine is the only Katanga copper mine that MINDAT lists BOTH smithsonite and POSSIBLY ALSO willemite. Willemite is extremely rare from here and the association would be unusual but we list it here because it was on the label. MINDAT does not list plancheite from this mine (possibly kipushite or pseudomalachite). That being said, a thin crust of beautiful powder-blue fibrous, botryoidal blue mineralization (we had previously labelled as plancheite based on the label) covers the matrix slab. NOTE THAT WE RECEIVED A CORRECTION THAT THE MINERAL IN QUESTION IS AURICHALCITE, NOT PLANCHEITE AS ORIGINALLY POSTED. Translucent, bluish-gray smithsonite spherules are richly clustered and scattered about and are complimented by the very rare, rich field of sparkly field of drusy, white, crystallized willemite. Old material from the 1960s. Ex Bob Trimingham Collection and previously from the Cap Washington Collection purchased by Walt Lidstrom in the early 1970s. Value of such a combination rarity??