Woodwardite

Item Description

Here is a spectacular and colorful specimen of the rare but beautiful species called Woodwardite, from a unique 2016 find at this extinct Cu-Pb-Zn mine in Tuscany, Italy. Bright turquoise-blue, three-dimensional rolling "waves" cascade down the front of this showy large cabinet specimen and resembles mini terraces of travertine or flowstone. Woodwardite is a rare Cu-Al sulfate hydrate secondary mineral very infrequently found in the oxidized zone of copper deposits and is exceptionally rare as aesthetic specimens like this one. This incredibly rare and remarkable Italian specimen was self-collected by a friend, who surprised me with this find a few years ago. I had never seen one at all, and he had found a small pocket with two large specimens (this being one of those two) in poking around an old mine. This is simply unprecedented, and so weird and strange that it is something we have no price comparables for. Ironically, China just recently produced similar material in color, but smaller waves and whorls of crystallization and little of this size. But this is, really shockingly, an Italian cabinet piece of a big blue copper mineral - which I never would have expected to see! So this is not only a super-interesting and attractive specimen for the shape and form, but something truly surprising for a European country and origin. Custom base included. Valued $7500-plus.