Chrysocolla ps. after Malachite ps. after Azurite with Quartz

Two prominent and one smaller crystal form an unusual double pseudomorph of intense sky-blue Chrysocolla replacing Malachite after Azurite and coated in Quartz, from a magnificent recent find in the Tenke-Fungurume area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Central Africa.  At least three former tabular Azurite crystals, now pseudomorphed to Chrysocolla, form a V-like structure, the three main crystals measuring 4.4, 3.3 and 1.5 cm tall.  On one side the Chrysocolla is a vivid and intense sky-blue while the reverse faces have a pervasive scattering of dark leaf-green Malachite which darkens the Chrysocolla beneath a veil of micro-crystallised Quartz.  The tabular Chrysocolla pseudomorphed crystals taper to Gothic window-like terminations and are totally encrusted with sparkling micro-Quartz crystals with a bright glassy lustre.  On this specimen the Quartz coating is particularly rich and thick, enough to form a rough granular texture across all the crystal faces.  Throughout the base can be seen a remnant core of mid and deep leaf-green Malachite.  The Tenke-Fungurume area delineates a 30 km copper-cobalt mineralised zone between Tenke hill in the NW and Fungurume hill in the SE of the Kolwezi mining district.  The region holds large ore reserves and to date a suite of 31 minerals have been recorded, including some exceedingly rare copper species.  A superb pseudomorph from the Kolwezi mining district of the DRC and a choice miniature.  The specimen comes mounted on a small square, colourless acrylic base.