Malachite with Cuprite

specimen number:
8282053

location:
Mashamba West Mine, Kolwezi, Lualaba, DR Congo

description:

Large lustrous sharp primary crystals of malachite measuring to over 1.5 cm on edge forming a cluster with minor crystalline cuprite. This is in outstanding condition. A wonderful example for the species, at one time part of the collection of Joseph Freilich.

The Mashamba West Mine, located in the Kolwezi mining district of the Lualaba Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is situated within the prolific Central African Copperbelt. The geology is characterized by sedimentary-hosted stratiform copper and cobalt deposits contained within Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Roan Group, which underwent intense folding, faulting, and deep supergene oxidation. Historically, open-pit mining operations in the area began to intensively target the rich copper and cobalt ores during the twentieth century. The mine became globally famous among mineral collectors for producing exceptional specimens of supergene copper minerals, most notably deep blue heterogenite, shimmering cobaltian calcite, malachite, and rare cobalt-bearing silicates like shattuckite and plancheite, recovered from the oxidized zone of the ore body.

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