A Malachite Sphere
Lot Closed
December 3, 08:03 PM GMT
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
A Malachite Sphere
Democratic Republic of Congo
3½ inches (8.9 cm) in diameter. 10.6 pounds (4.8 kg).
This finely banded malachite specimen exhibits rings of characteristic deep greens and black, terminating in a bullseye on one side of the sphere.
Ranging from light to deep, rich evergreens, malachite is an opaque and banded copper carbonate hydroxide that often forms stalagmitic and/or botryoidal ("bunch of grapes") masses. The most highly sought after specimens display concentric rings of varying sizes, as evidenced by the stunning, singular bullseye seen in the specimen offered here.