Cornetite with Malachite and Chrysocolla

Malachite is an opaque and banded copper carbonate hydroxide that often forms stalagmitic and/or botryoidal ("bunch of grapes") masses. In this case, chrysocolla—a blue-green mineral with high copper content—has formed as rounded masses amongst the malachite and cornetite, resulting in a beautiful sea of densely saturated hues.

The specimen offered here is a prime example of the process of long-term geologic formation, as layer upon layer of changes in mineralization are beautifully evident.