2.1" Polished Chrysocolla & Azurite Egg - Peru

This is a beautiful, hand-polished "egg" that's composed of brilliant blue-green chrysocolla and azurite, collected from Peru. The lapidary work is very nice, and allows for the natural formations of the mineral to be seen. There are small pockets along one side of this egg that contain quartz druze. It makes for a very aesthetic display piece. Comes with pictured display stand.

There are multiple small locations where a section of this mineral association broke away either prior or during the polish process. These locations were gap filled with a mineral grain packed epoxy.

Chrysocolla is a basic copper silicate that typically forms as a pseudomorph following other copper based minerals. The chemical formula is considered undetermined due to the varying substitutions of elements and water content in its chemical structure. However, there is a form of chrysocolla with an identifiable chemical formula of Cu2H2Si2O5(OH)4 that can be found in microcrystals.

Regularly, chrysocolla will form as botryoidal lumps and spheres, rarely forming visible crystals. It can also form in both solid and fibrous veins, over fibrous minerals, and in crusts. Known for its sharp and vibrant coloring, chrysocolla can display a wide variety of colors such as bluish-green, bright green, light blue, to even sometimes multicolored specimens depending on the atmosphere present during formation.

Azurite is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral best known for its beautiful and vibrant blue appearance. Azurite typically forms in nodular formations with other colorful, copper-rich minerals. It is a secondary mineral that precipitated in pores, crevices, and caverns from water with high concentrations of carbon dioxide.

Azurite and malachite are known to form in union with each other since their chemical makeup is very similar. In fact, the presence of more or less water in the location of formation is enough to determine whether an abundance of malachite over azurite, or vise-versa, will accumulate.
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DETAILS
SPECIES
Chrysocolla & Azurite
LOCATION
Peru
SIZE
2.1" tall, 1.7" wide
CATEGORY
ITEM
#108802