Cornetite with Gel Chrysocolla and Malachite, L'Etoile du Congo M., Katanga DRC RARE AND CHOICE!
A striking and beautiful combination specimen, presenting a surface layer of intense, royal-blue Cornetite over sublime, deep green to blue gel chrysocolla bands. The surface is punctuated by “bubbly” botryoidal forms and sprinkles of green malachite. The side view captures a violent diagenesis, with bands of gel chrysocolla and malachite flowing through and around remnant brecciated fragments of light tan host rock. The colors are just amazing, with the cornetite and the malachite nicely framing, and complementing, the chrysocolla. Cornetite is a rare secondary copper phosphate, and the L'Etoile du Congo (“Star of the Congo”) Mine is the type locality. The mine is now closed, and specimens from the type locality rarely come to market. I have examined all of the photos available in Mindat's public archives, and this particular gel Chrysocolla association seems quite unusual, not to mention jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
