aurichalcite (w. hemimorphite and hydrozincite)

hemimorphite; hydrozincite

Cavities in a gossanous matrix are largely filled with amorphous intergrowths of hemimorphite, hydrozincite and aurichalcite, the latter accounting for the weak blue-green colour of the infill. Small voids remaining in some of the cavities are lined with free-standing acicular crystals of blue-green aurichalcite (to 1.5 mm).

This paragenesis is characteristic of the upper levels of the first oxidation zone. It was first described by Maucher (1908) and more recently by Gebhard (1999). Mark Feinglos purchased this specimen from Georg Gebhard in 1993; it is accompanied by a Berakademie Freiberg label.