Malachite ps. Azurite

Item Description

This large cabinet specimen consists of long, thin, bladed prismatic crystals of Azurite, many of them pseudomorphed to Malachite in a complete chemical replacement. It is thought that these replacements happen literally as the crystals form, and quickly, at the end of their growth in the original environment, rather than perhaps millions of years later over slow time and a slow replacement process. Some Azurite blades, or portions of them, still show pristine, lustrous Azurite crystals, while portions of some of these crystals and others are pseudomorphed or partially replaced by Malachite. Malachite on the surface of some Azurites is a pleasing, velvety, satin-lustered emerald green coating. The largest crystals on the piece are up to 6.5 cm long and most ar thinly bladed at 3 to 4 mm thick. The cluster at the top represents a fan of broad Malachite after Azurite crystals with the form indistinct from the front and obscured by the velvety Malachite, however, the back shows the form of the broad, bladed pseudomorphs better. Both Azurite and Malachite are found as subhedral crystals in the tan to ocherous orange-brown matrix with the pseudomorphs here shown in various stages of replacement. Some of the bright blue, subhedral crystal sections in the matrix are Linarite not Azurite and add another color of blue to this interesting piece. A classic style, unlike those from anywhere else...this screams historic Tsumeb to the eye!