Chinese Azurite!

Chinese azurite is not something I typically take a second look at.  Like the pastel green Xianghualing fluorite or the reddish Daye calcite, it has become one of those mineralogical constants that inevitably turns up at every show..... and then, as with all these mineralogical constants, once in a while they discover a batch that is a cut above. 


I think the ball-shaped clusters from Shilu have long been considered the best Chinese azurites (and they probably win on shape) but those didn't quite have the luster or depth of color. Then recently, I noticed that examples with larger, more lustrous crystals than the usual were being found in Anhui, so I bought a rather large batch of them-- most were the typical material, flat plates with small crystals (usually the crystals resemble those on specimen CNAZ27.)  From that batch, I selected the best 28 pieces to post here-- and the first one in particular is probably one of the best Chinese azurites I have seen, period. 


List
Grid
Page 1

CNAZ01 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
10.0x 8.5x 5.6 cm
$980

As I said in the main page description, Chinese azurite is not something I typically take a second look at.  Like the pastel green Xianghualing fluorite or the scalenohedral, reddish Daye calcite, it has become one of those "mineralogical constants" that inevitably turns up at every show..... and then once in a while they discover a batch that is a cut above. 

This is particularly exceptional for a Chinese azurite-- the best way to describe it is probably this: if mineral specimens could reproduce, this would be the product of crossing a Liufengshan piece with one from Milpillas. The luster is almost wet, and the crystal size is substantially larger than that seen in the usual "blue geodes" lined with small azurites (for example, see specimen CNAZ28). The display face is also damage free, a result of its very slight convex shape.   

It really is a good piece, I'd say better in person than in the photographs.   Even Dr. Liu's "Fine Minerals of China" book doesn't have one this good (in my opinion), and compared to the old, ball-like Shilu clusters, I think this comes out quite far ahead, not necessarliy on shape but certainly on luster and depth of color.  I don't typically emphasize things like this so much, but again, this is really really good for China, and it would be quite hard (I think) to come across a better one. 









CNAZ02 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
4.0x 3.2x 1.8 cm
$175

A nice mixture sized example of lustrous azurite crystals from china, a bit larger and more distinct than the usual from this locality. There is a bit of malachite showing through in one spot. 







CNAZ03 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
6.6x 4.4x 2.6 cm
$185

A nice example of lustrous azurite crystals in a vug, largely protected from damage by the slight concave shape of the matrix. 







CNAZ04 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
5.4x 4.5x 3.7 cm
$225

A nice example of lustrous (and somewhat large for the locality) azurite crystals on matrix. 









CNAZ05 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
6.6x 5.3x 3.7 cm
$185

A nice example of very lustrous azurite crystals in a vug, with highlights of green malachite balls. 









CNAZ06 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
7.3x 4.8x 2.0 cm
$160

The azurite crystals on this specimen are more standard, but the gradation from a light powdery blue to a deep, almost inky black color highlights the "blueness" of the azurite on this piece, and gives a nice bit of contrast (if that's even the right word, to describe the visual difference between  shades of the same color...)







CNAZ07 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
8.5x 5.3x 5.5 cm
$285

A nice example of lustrous azurite crystals sharing a matrix with nicely contrasting green malachite, from recent discoveries at the Liufengshan Mine. 







CNAZ08 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
8.1x 4.4x 3.9 cm
$200

A nice example of azurite, with both medium sized and tiny crystals, associated with velvety malachite. 







CNAZ09 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
5.6x 4.8x 3.6 cm
$185

A nice example for inky blue (and rather large for the locality) azurite crystals from China. 







CNAZ10 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
6.6x 4.4x 1.1 cm
$165

A thin plate of azurite crystals (in some placed about 6 mm thick), with malachite, from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine. 







CNAZ11 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
7.7x 5.7x 3.9 cm
$165

A nice example of azurite with malachite from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine.  On one side, there are slightly larger, lustrous, inky blue-black crystals.  On the back, there is a druse of crystals giving it the more standard appearance of azurites from this mine. 









CNAZ12 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
7.7x 3.9x 4.6 cm
$165

A nice example of inky blue-black azurite crystals on matrix, from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine.  







CNAZ13 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
4.9x 4.4x 3.0 cm
$165

A nice example of inky blue-black azurite crystals on matrix, from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine.  







CNAZ14 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
5.4x 4.5x 3.6 cm
$185

A nice example of inky blue-black azurite crystals on matrix, from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine.  There are crystals on both the front and back-- it could be displayed either way. Little bit of scuffing in a couple spots. 









CNAZ15 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
5.7x 3.1x 3.7 cm
$145

A nice example of inky blue-black azurite crystals on matrix, from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine.  







CNAZ16 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
6.1x 3.5x 2.9 cm
$125

A nice example of inky blue-black azurite crystals on matrix, from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine.  







CNAZ17 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
4.0x 3.2x 1.9 cm
$160

A nice example of lustrous, inky blue azurite on a malachite matrix.  Some damage is visible around the edges.









CNAZ18 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
7.8x 4.2x 3.2 cm
$145

A nice example of azurite on malachite, from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine.  This one has a couple broken crystals on the main cluster, but it displays exactly as shown.







CNAZ19 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
3.4x 1.6x 1.6 cm
$85

A nice example of very lustrous (and rather large for the locality) inky blue azurite crystals from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine. 







CNAZ20 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
6.2x 3.6x 3.0 cm
$145

A nice example of inky blue-black azurite crystals on matrix, from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine.  







CNAZ21 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
9.0x 3.7x 3.9 cm
$195

A beautiful example of lustrous blue azurite crystals with nicely contrasting green malachite,  from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine.  







CNAZ22 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
6.0x 3.8x 2.4 cm
$135

A nice example of inky blue azurite crystals with nicely contrasting malachite, from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine.  The azurite crystals are nicely protected in a shallow mug, this protected them from damage but also makes them hard to photograph, because of the contrast. 









CNAZ23 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
2.6x 1.8x 1.5 cm
$85

A nice thumbnail-sized example of lustrous (and somewhat larger for the locality) blue azurite crystals with nicely contrasting green malachite, from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine.  







CNAZ24 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
1.9x 1.6x 1.8 cm
$65

A nice thumbnail-sized example of lustrous (and somewhat larger for the locality) blue azurite crystals, from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine.  







CNAZ25 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
2.8x 1.8x 1.4 cm
$75

A nice thumbnail-sized example of lustrous (and somewhat larger for the locality) blue azurite crystals, from recent finds at the Liufengshan Mine.  







CNAZ26 Azurite with Malachite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
6.3x 5.0x 2.0 cm
$90

A nice example of azurite on a matrix dusted with nicely contrasting green malachite. 







CNAZ27 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
6.0x 4.7x 4.5 cm
$135

A nice example of the more standard azurite habit from Luifengshan. As you can see, the crystals are smaller than the others on this update, but I still picked this one because I liked the overall shape-- well balanced, good sparkly crystals, and having a nice geode-like appearance. 







CNAZ28 Azurite
Liufengshan Mine, Guichi District, Chizhou, Anhui, China
5.6x 4.0x 3.9 cm
$100

A nice example of the more standard azurite habit from Luifengshan. As you can see, the crystals are smaller than the others on this update, but I still picked this one because I liked the overall shape-- well balanced, good sparkly crystals, and having a nice geode-like appearance. 







CNAZ29 Copper
Daye Co., Huangshi Prefecture, Hubei Province, China
3.3x 2.7x 2.0 cm
$95

This may look like a mess, but I think it's actually kind special. Chinese coppers are usually very flat arborescent growths, or vaguely arborescent, compact masses of small grainy crystals. This is probably the first well crystalized example I can recall seeing-- there are actually multiple spinel twins that make up the main body of the specimen, and they reach about 1.9 cm, which is huge for Chinese copper crystals..........But of course, this is still a Chinese copper so it can't be *too* clean-- and there is an overgrowth of grainy crystals.  Still, for a Chinese copper I do think this is pretty damn good.  I'd also say, it looks slightly less messy in person, with the extra three-dimensionality and more natural reflections off the sides of the main crystals....   









Page 1
Click here to see the clearance section (specimens added January 8, 2020)