Cobaltoan Calcite from From Mashamba West , Kolwezi, Shaba, Congo (Zaire)

From Mashamba West , Kolwezi, Western area, Shaba Cu belt, Shaba (Katanga), Congo (Zaire)

It is no surprise that minerals predominantely display colors involving one of the "earth tones" - orange, brown, black, tan, etc. Here a fairly normal, golden hued Calcite matrix is thinly over-coated by a second generation of Calcite strongly infused with Cobalt, a metal that the DRC is a main source for. The bright Cobalt based color being presently in the exterior portions of the calcite crystals makes them appear too be outlined in hot pink. Just for a little extra "punch" there are bright green patches of Malachite scattered about the upper surface of the piece. 

79 grams,  2.5 x 1.75 x 1.5 inches