A Malachite "Owl"
No reserve
Auction Closed
July 28, 03:27 PM GMT
Estimate
800 - 1,200 USD
Lot Details
Description
A Malachite "Owl"
Democratic Republic of Congo
6¼ by 4¼ by 3 inches (15.9 x 10.7 x 7.6 cm). 8 inches (20.3 cm) tall on custom stand. 4 pounds (1.8 kg).
This finely banded malachite specimen exhibits rings of characteristic deep greens and black, terminating in two bullseyes on the top center of the polished specimen.
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 two stunning bullseyes seen in the "Owl" specimen offered here.