{"product_id":"auction-win-05009a95-00e8-4eb1-9de7-8e1310d36d13","title":"Auction Win: Malachite (Stalactite Slab)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocality:\u003c\/strong\u003e Katanga Copper Crescent, Haut-Katanga, DR Congo\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cabinet - 8.3 × 5.5 × .7 cm cm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis slab has two distinct, botryoidal ‘eyes’ that remind me of an owl. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMalachite is a bright green secondary copper mineral with the formula Cu2(CO3)(OH)2, first described in antiquity as \"molochitus\" by Pliny the Elder in 79 CE after the Greek word for mallows due to its leaf-like green color. Historically used as a pigment alongside azurite, it is now primarily valued by collectors for its striking banded appearance and botryoidal clusters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Katanga Copper Crescent in Haut-Katanga, DR Congo is a world-renowned mining area within the Central African Copper Belt, famous for producing exceptional specimens of copper, malachite, chrysocolla, cuprite, and carrollite. This locality is geologically significant as the type locality for 66 valid minerals, including rare secondary copper minerals like cobaltomenite found at the Musonoi-Extension mine. Collectors prize specimens from this region for their vibrant colors, complex crystal forms, and the area's historic role as one of the world's most prolific sources of copper and cobalt minerals. Today, it remains a top destination for mineral enthusiasts seeking high-quality, scientifically important copper-bearing specimens from a globally iconic mining district.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Crystal Castle","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48920455217307,"sku":null,"price":11.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0336\/3012\/6217\/files\/7edd8df2-7ffb-44cd-9a5d-c84f585dfae4.jpg?v=1783299945","url":"https:\/\/www.overtonfamilyjewels.com\/products\/auction-win-05009a95-00e8-4eb1-9de7-8e1310d36d13","provider":"OFJ's Crystal Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}