Image Credit: Malcolm Southwood
Image Credit: Malcolm Southwood
Specimen Title
malachite after azurite (w. olivenite (?) and quartz)
Associated Minerals
olivenite; quartz
Principal Mineral
Precursor Mineral
Size
Cabinet; 180mm
Location in the Mine
First oxidation zone; Open Pit
Provenance
Klein, W.
Collection
MGMH; 126806
Entry Number
Specimen; TSNB753
Description
A large pseudomorph of malachite after azurite, unfortunately with some damage. Tabular, terminated crystals of azurite (to at least 80 mm) have been completely replaced by malachite. There is essentially no matrix but, at the base of the specimen, are sprays of prismatic olivenite (?) crystals (to 5 mm) encrusted with a druse of very fine colourless quartz (Exhibit 2). Similarly, many of the malachite pseudomorphs are covered with a microcrystalline quartz druse which provides a notable sparkle to the faces.
This was specimen 1026 in the collection of Wilhelm Klein, production manager at Tsumeb between 1916 and 1939. His catalogue records that it is from the Open Pit, at the top of the first oxidation zone.
