Malachite Assemblage with Cobaltoan Calcite
- Species
- Malachite
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 3.5–4
- Chemistry
- Cu₂CO₃(OH)₂
- Dimensions
- 15 × 9 × 6 cm (5.9 × 3.5 × 2.4 in)
- Weight
- 2.3 kg (5.1 lb)
- Grade
- Museum Grade
- Treatment
- 100% Natural · Untreated
The plate stands upright on a base of dense magenta-pink cobaltoan calcite, its surface a fine microcrystalline nap that reads almost like velvet cloth. Sprays of vivid green malachite thread across the pink ground, and patches of matte black heterogenite anchor the lower portion — three colours, three textures, sharing one continuous crust.
The Katanga copper-cobalt belt produces a color found almost nowhere else in the mineral world: the hot magenta of calcite grown with cobalt in its lattice. On this upright plate, that pink velvet carries two companions from the same ore system — green malachite and black heterogenite, copper and cobalt side by side.
Why collectors want this
Red and green rarely co-occur naturally in one specimen — here the contrast is built in, magenta ground with green accents. The micro-crystalline "velvet" texture is the second draw: a surface that looks soft enough to touch.
Living with it
Front-lit at close range to bring out the velvet texture; avoid dusty locations, as the fine crystalline surface is difficult to clean. Keep dry — carbonates dislike prolonged moisture.
Packed by value-graded protection and shipped tracked & insured worldwide (DHL / FedEx / UPS), dispatched within 3–7 business days.
1 in stock