Malachite

specimen number:
2072150

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

description:
Brilliant green crystallized cluster of malachite without matrix. Very chatoyant and in excellent condition.

The Mindingi Mine, located near Kambove in the Haut-Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a significant site within the Central African Copperbelt. Geologically, the deposit is hosted in the Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks of the Katanga Supergroup, specifically within the Mines Subgroup (R2) of the Roan Group. The mineralization consists of stratified copper and cobalt sulfides that have undergone extensive supergene alteration, resulting in a rich suite of secondary minerals formed in the oxidation zone. Historically, small-scale and artisanal mining have taken place in the region for decades, but the site gained prominent mineralogical fame during the mid-20th century for its remarkable specimens of cobalt and copper species. Notable mining activity occurred during the colonial period under Union Miniere du Haut-Katanga and continued under Gecamines, with various periods of active excavation throughout the 1900s and into the 2000s.

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