DEN14-1415
Hemimorphite
Mfouati Mine, Mfouati, Bouenza Department, Democratic Republic of Congo
Large Cabinet, 19.0 x 19.0 x 16.0 cm
SOLD
This classic old mine started producing again only a few years ago, as teams of miners went in to its old tunnels looking for specimens such as those found in the 1950s and 1960s. It is dangerous work. Foreign funding by mineral dealers began in probably 2012, with the first results showing up to market in late 2013 and early 2014. I was fortunate to be able to purchase one of the largest lots of good material mined in the 2013 summer season, which included this as the major flagship specimen. The color is so saturated blue, that it is more intense than any other hemimorphite I have ever seen. There is no damage worth noting - the piece is pristine all around. It is 3-dimensional and about the size of a volleyball. This exceptional specimen is large, dramatic, and simply colorful to the point where it looks more like dyed cotton candy than a mineral specimen, at first glance. It literally leaps out, to the eye. Price on Request. Joe Budd photos.