Malachite after Cuprite – Chessy lesmines, Rhone, France
 
Beautifully grown pseudomorph from malachite to cuprite with skeletonized surfaces. Beautifully shaped and large pseudomorph of malachite after cuprite. Crystals from the classic Chessy site in France are extremely rare and sought after as no new material is being recovered.These crystals are mostly transformed into copper carbonates.In part, however, only superficially. A small, unconverted core of cuprite can also be found in the malachite. And finally there is also completely in malachitetransformed pseudomorphoses.The malachite forming the pseudomorphoses is never needle-like. It has more of a porcelain-like appearance.The most common habit is the octahedron, sometimes by indenting the face skeletal.However, the rhombic dodecahedron with completely smooth surfaces can also be found.Some rhombic dodecahedral crystals are elongated along a threefold axis and formso pseudotrigonal crystals.Today pseudomorphoses from malachite to cuprite are hardly in Chessy, but rather found in old collections.