Paratacamite with Malachite sulfide The Ludlamite “ball” on this

The Ludlamite “ball” on this piece is virtually undamaged and has a pleasing rich green color with good luster and translucence

This is a fairly large

or a suite of Bolivian specimens

This piece is from a one pocket find in 2003

which is one of my favorite phenomena in the mineral world

Paratacamite with Malachite sulfide The Ludlamite “ball” on thisA very showy and fine quality display specimen of the rare copper zinc hydroxyl halide Paratacamite from the famous Lily Mine in Peru. The finest examples of this mineral are found at the Lily Mine, and only a few pockets with fine crystals have been discovered. As the name implies, the species is related to Atacamite, but contains zinc, which Atacamite does not, and the crystals are notably trigonal and not the typical fibrous form seen in Atacamite.