A colorful and attractive, old-time specimen of Pseudomalachite from the Mashamba West Mine in the DRC, a rare species often confused in the past for Malachite (and, hence the name). Great Pseudomalachite specimens with large botryoids like this are almost impossible to find today and are thought to have come out in the 1970s along with a pocket in the early 1980s. This three-dimensional piece is comprised of several large, pleasingly mounded, variegated, two-tone green botryoids of Pseudomalachite, producing a very aesthetic piece. The sides and one end of the piece show concentric layering of the Pseudomalachite one upon the other. Pseudomalachite is a phosphate, NOT a carbonate like Malachite, although they can surely look similar at first glance. Usually Pseudomalachite is a little bit darker, and a little bit more smoothly rounded compared to Malachite, especially from this locality. And, the mineral is quite rare, and often misidentified or simply not recognized at all by those who are unfamiliar with it. This happens to be a large and exceptionally good example of the species from one of the Mashamba West Mine, the most important of localities for the mineral. It's an impressive display quality specimen. From the broad worldwide collection of Bob Reynolds, former curator of the San Bernardino County Museum.