Malachite (polished)

Item Description

A fine quality, historic specimen of Malachite from Bisbee, one of the premier localities in the world for the material. A lot of Bisbee Malachites were used in lapidary purposes for their superb coloring and forms. Highly characteristic of what came out in the late 1800s and early 1900s for carving material. The best of these pieces are among the finest examples of lapidary grade Malachite in the world, just as fine as the top examples from DR Congo or Russia. This piece is a wonderful polished example showing gorgeous rich green mammillary aggregates, which formed in banded layers. The polished surface reveals beautiful "eyes" of Malachite in several spots. Great quality all over, and very showy. Specimen weight is 330.8 grams.
From the collection of the beloved mineral dealer and collector Rock H. Currier (1940-2015) who was the long-time owner of Jewel Tunnel Imports (named after the large open vugs in basalt in India which were often filled with crystals). Collection #RH133. Rock travelled the world in search of mineral specimens, and built and impressive collection over his lifetime. He was one of the more colorful and unforgettable figures in the mineral world. You can read more about Rock at the following links: (https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/currierrock/) (https://www.mindat.org/user-2982.html) (https://www.rockcurrier.com/).