MALACHITE. Czar Shaft, Copper Queen Mine (Halero Mine), Queen Hill, Bisbee, Warren District, Mule Mountains, Cochise Count... (Total: 2 Items)

Description

MALACHITE
Czar Shaft, Copper Queen Mine (Halero Mine), Queen Hill, Bisbee, Warren District, Mule Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, USA

The copper mining town of Bisbee, Arizona was one of the economic power spots of the developing state of Arizona. This was based on its vast reserves of Copper, as well as significant amounts of Gold and Silver. The upper portion of the ore bodies in the district hosted caverns lined with the blue and green carbonates of Copper, which represented very high-grade Copper ore. The green version of those Copper carbonates is Malachite: a term familiar to any collector of Russian or Congolese lapidary items. Most of the Malachite found in those legendary Bisbee caves ended up as wire, pennies and plumbing; only an especially comely example was given a reprieve from smelting and reduction to metal. Good Bisbee material, like this one, shows rounded, mammillary forms imitating a leprechauns' idea of a bubble-bath. Not very many of these verdant wonders are still around, particularly in this large cabinet size range. In addition to large size and good form, few specimens boast a surface luster as free from dings and damage as this one does. The back side shows host rock matrix typical to Bisbee material. This exceptional specimen comes with a custom acrylic base.
Overall Measurements: 10.0 x 5.75 x 3.75 inches (25.4 x 14.61 x 9.53 cm)
Offered at no reserve.

Provenance: Western Minerals [Hoppel #D0335]

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