Barite with Malachite

specimen number:
2312497

location:
Shangulowe Mine, Kambove, Haut-Katanga, DR Congo

description:
A deep open pocket lined with velvety crystallized malachite, this hosting bladed crystals of barite deep within. In good condition. Interesting antique specimen that comes with a label from Ward's Natural Science Establishment.

The Shangulowe Mine, located near Kambove in the Haut-Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a notable copper-producing site with a history tied to the broader colonial-era and state-managed mining developments of the Central African Copperbelt. Geologically, the deposit is situated within Neoproterozoic sediment-hosted sequences of the Katanga Supergroup, where intense weathering, supergene enrichment, and fluid circulation altered primary copper ores within dolomitic shales and dolostones. Mineralogically, the mine has achieved world-class status among collectors for its exceptional secondary copper silicate species, particularly fine associations of plancheite and shattuckite, alongside striking pseudomorphs where minerals like barite have been completely replaced by copper silicates or malachite.

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