This is a HUGE specimen, very 3-dimensional, of carving-grade quality, chatoyant, just gorgeous malachite from the old workings of the late 1890s. Rarely do you see such large specimens for sale and when you do, they are often bunged up. This plate is pristine, and the concentric swirls have a chatoyance to them that follows the light as it plays across, such that it is much more beautiful in person. Note the thickness, to 4 inches in places. This makes for top quality carving rough the likes of which hasn't been seen for sale from Bisbee in a century or so. Most specimens you see today are just thin plates. This is, thus, one of the few malachites from Bisbee I truly like, that stand on its own as a great malachite and not just a "good one for the USA" compaired to Africna malachite which is available today