Malachite

Tonglushan Mine, Daye City, Hubei Prov., China
Cabinet, 13.7 x 11.8 x 6.7 cm
Start Time: 01/30/2025 7:00:00 pm (CST)
End Time: 02/08/2025 6:33:00 pm (CST)
Auction Closed
Winning Bid: $1,150

Item Description

Most people do not realize that large botryoidal, gorgeous malachite comes from southern China, as well as Africa. It is more rare, especially in good condition, but we source it there directly in the mining towns near Daye-Huangshi, near to Wuhan (Hubei Province). Two thick, rounded stalactitic knobs of lustrous variegated green malachite, to 9 cm in length rise to form a common mound of solid malachite matrix on this display-quality specimen. A major Chinese malachite! This is a good size, not too small and not too big, and has a really nice aesthetic balance to it, that looks more organic than mineral in form. These are from finds over many years at this mine, which is actually the oldest continually operating copper mine in the modern world and provided copper ore for the Chinese bronze age. A somewhat dated but accessible museum currently sits over the site of the old mining entry tunnels and features exhibits on the mining and refining technology and how these changed over 2500 years. Until I visited the museum myself and saw the working mine still going adjacent to the museum area, I had no idea that modern specimens came out of here. Asking around and making inquiries for the last several years resulted in some miners bringing out specimens to show me. With the quantity and low prices of so much African malachite flooding the Chinese market (it is used mostly for decor and wellness, and until recently there was not a sense that native Chinese minerals might be more valuable on a species-to-species comparison of big malachites), there simply was not a good domestic "market pull" to bring these amazing malachites out of rural southern China and onto the mineral market in the larger cities that served as mineral dealing hubs for the last 20 years as the market developed (Changsha, Guilin, etc). Thus, these amazing malachites from China itself were mostly destroyed even as African material was selling, and I am thrilled to have rescued as many as I have from that fate, some several dozen over the last few years! While most are damaged in mining and handling, there are the occasional treasures that have come our way, and we are happy to present them here. Comes with a custom lucite base for display. It is a superb Chinese malachite to be sure, but actually holds its own for style and quality for any rounded malachite from anywhere. Valued $4000-5000.

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Bidding History

Bid Amount Bid Time
$1,150 02/08/2025 6:29:31 pm (CST)
$1,100 02/08/2025 6:29:31 pm (CST)
$1,024 02/08/2025 6:27:46 pm (CST)
$999 02/08/2025 6:27:46 pm (CST)
$930 02/08/2025 6:27:03 pm (CST)
$905 02/08/2025 6:27:03 pm (CST)
$810 02/08/2025 6:26:28 pm (CST)
$800 02/08/2025 6:26:28 pm (CST)
$725 02/08/2025 6:26:20 pm (CST)
$700 02/08/2025 6:26:20 pm (CST)
$553 02/08/2025 6:25:47 pm (CST)
$528 02/08/2025 6:24:03 pm (CST)
$505 02/08/2025 6:24:03 pm (CST)
$418 02/08/2025 3:08:54 pm (CST)
$408 02/08/2025 2:59:26 pm (CST)
$400 02/08/2025 2:59:26 pm (CST)
$398 02/08/2025 10:08:51 am (CST)
$388 02/08/2025 10:08:51 am (CST)
$291 02/08/2025 1:15:51 am (CST)
$281 02/08/2025 1:15:50 am (CST)
$270 02/01/2025 2:38:22 pm (CST)
$260 02/01/2025 9:54:03 am (CST)
$250 * 02/01/2025 9:53:49 am (CST)
$250 * 02/01/2025 9:53:49 am (CST)
$232 02/01/2025 5:33:04 am (CST)
$222 02/01/2025 5:33:04 am (CST)
$210 02/01/2025 5:32:16 am (CST)
$200 02/01/2025 5:32:16 am (CST)
$20 01/31/2025 6:40:28 am (CST)
$15 01/31/2025 6:40:27 am (CST)
$10 01/30/2025 10:27:30 pm (CST)
* Proxy Bid Battle: In the event of two customers inputting matching proxy bids, the leading bid goes to the earliest of the two proxy bids. Tie winners are shown in bold.