Stalactitic and botryoidal Malachite

Item Description

Surreal, fantasy-like large sculptural stalactitic and botryoidal malachite on the multi-hued banded malachite matrix from this famous Katanga Copper Crescent mine. The stunning, differently shaped, lustrous stacked botryoids of the stalactites present an otherworldly form to the piece. Striking spike tips and knobby ends are visible. They resemble an exotic green "forest" of malachite hoodoos, like those at the Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, USA. The broken tips on some of the stalactites reveal the growth rings and holes, where the precipitating copper-rich fluids flowed, adding interest. This well-known copper-cobalt deposit is extinct commercially, but artisanal mining by locals has recovered more fine specimens. Certainly a bizarre looking and excellent malachite from the famous Star of Congo Mine.