Image Credit: Malcolm Southwood
Image Credit: Malcolm Southwood
Specimen Title
Azurite (w. malachite after azurite)
Associated Minerals
malachite; quartz
Principal Mineral
Precursor Mineral
Size
Cabinet; 95mm
Location in the Mine
Second oxidation zone; 35 Level; No. 2 Sublevel; North East Stope; Perkins Sams Pocket
Provenance
Eernstein, L.; Werschky, S.
Collection
Southwood, M.; MS2014.032
Entry Number
Specimen; TSNB1000
Description
Stout, prismatic crystals of azurite (individually to 50 mm), almost completely replaced by malachite, with only a thin veneer of the original azurite remaining on some of the faces. The crystals grew on and between flattened breccia shards of iron-stained quartz, several of which are incorporated within the crystals of this specimen.
The specimen is from the so-called Perkins Sams Pocket, which was discovered deep in the second oxidation zone in 1980. According to the mine captain in charge of that section of the mine, the exact location was 35 Level, Number 2 Sublevel, North West Stope (Ludger Krahn, pers. comm. to M. Southwood, 2015). American dealer Charlie Key partnered with Texas oilman Perkins Sams to finance the purchase of almost the entire pocket from Namibian dealer Sid Pieters (Southwood 2022).
Compare with TSNB999.
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