Azurite. Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region, Namibia. ...

Description

Azurite
Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region, Namibia

"A beautiful cluster of somewhat blocky tabular shiny azurite crystals on a little piece of matrix. I traded this specimen from the George Vaux collection at Bryn Mawr College near Philadelphia when Harold Arndt was still curator."
- Rock H. Currier

Few localities have the sheer panache that this spot in the Namib Desert has accumulated over the years. The finest examples of many minerals known, owe their existence to the unique geology of this deposit. That the mine is closed has only enhanced the legendary status of the place. This stunning little jewel is very clearly from Tsumeb and although we have no label to add provenance to the specimen, we do have Currier's own written word that he got it from the Vaux Collection in trades he was involved with: a fact that he attests to in his collection catalog notes. This Azurite treasure is a lustrous, luscious group of deep blue stubby prisms, rising from a small matrix of the typical country rock. This is a special piece of mineralogical history.
Overall Measurements: 1.6 x 1.2 x 0.8 inches (4.0 x 3.0 x 2.0 cm)
Weight: 38.6 grams
Offered at no reserve

Provenance: Ex Bryn Mawr College, Ex George Vaux Jr. Collection [RHC #1856, acquired 1972] [MinID: 91E-03Q]

[Scale: 1 inch, with mark at 1 cm]



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