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Volborthite Pocket August 31, 2015 · 13 specimens Will the marvels ever cease? Already a prolific source of incredible Azurite specimens, in the waning hours of specimen production at the mine, the Milpillas produced yet another surprise - tabular Azurite associated with the world's best Volborthite! In April 2015 a small clay filled pocket was opened on the ceiling of an adit in the 890 level of the mine and what came out was incredible. Where to begin...firstly, the Azurite occurs in a thin, tabular habit (think translucent blue Wulfenite). The Azurite has a waxy to satiny surface luster and all are nicely translucent, readily showing color along the edges under ambient lighting. The Azurite formed on a white Dickite coated matrix with spherical masses of Malachite producing specimens with incredible color contrast. The pocket was clay filled, protecting the Azurite, resulting in remarkably undamaged specimens despite the razor thin edges on much of the Azurite. The Volborthite is orders of magnitude better than any other. |
