Malachite

specimen number:
2292204

location:
Kolwezi, Lualaba, DR Congo

description:
Chatoyant green crystals of malachite in a cluster without matrix. In good condition all around.

The Kolwezi mining district, located in the Lualaba Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a major global center for copper and cobalt mining that produces exceptional mineral specimens, notably vibrant pink cobaltoan calcite, malachite, and primary carnotite. Geologically, the district is situated within the prolific Central African Copperbelt, featuring Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks of the Katanga Supergroup where intense folding, faulting, and supergene enrichment created massive stratiform copper-cobalt sulfide and oxide ore bodies. Industrial-scale open-pit quarrying and underground mining began under Belgian colonial control with Union Miniere du Haut-Katanga in the 1920s, transitioning to the state-owned Gecamines in 1967. Following restructuring in the early 2000s, the district saw massive expansion through joint ventures and multinational corporations like Glencore and CMOC, with highly mechanized industrial operations alongside widespread artisanal mining continuing to dominate global production into the 2020s.

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