Copper pseudomorph after Azurite ("Copper Rose") with Malachite

A wonderful "Copper Rose" floater pseudomorph specimen from New Mexico. The piece is completely undamaged and features broad, sharp, well-formed, bladed crystals with a beautiful rusty antique patina on the surface, which is partially altering to mint green Malachite in areas. The piece displays beautifully from several angles, and the contrast of the Malachite against the Native Copper is striking and pleasing to the eye.

These specimens are some of my favorite minerals in the world. They are unique in the fact that they are not only pseudomorphs, but what makes them so rare and special is the fact that you have a native metal replacing a mineral that contains that metal. Essentially these specimens started out as a deposit of Native Copper that was oxidized and combined with carbonate molecules to form crystallized "rosettes" of Azurite. Then a second deposit of Native Copper arrived, which completely coated and replaced the preexisting Azurite. It is, to the best of my knowledge, the only instance in the mineral world where a specimen starts out as a native metal, alters to a secondary mineral in an oxidized zone of said metal, and is eventually replaced by the same native metal, essentially taking it back to its original state. This is why the "Copper Roses" from New Mexico are so extraordinary.

Specimen # CUNM72002