AZURITE

ABOUT THE SPECIMEN

Cluster of sharp azurite crystals with a deep blue hue, showing intense royal blue flashes when hit with light from the right angles. The largest crystal rises up through the middle and is well terminated. Many of the smaller side crystals are contacted, yet the whole piece is largely free from any actual damage.

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The Touissit-Bou Beker district comprises Mississippi Valley-type lead-zinc deposits hosted in Middle Jurassic (Aalenian-Bajocian, 174-168 Ma) dolomitized carbonate platform rocks, with mineralization related to basinal brine circulation during the Messinian Salinity Crisis around 5-6 Ma. Azurite forms through supergene weathering of primary galena-sphalerite ores, creating some of the most intensely colored and lustrous specimens known. The crystals typically display deep royal blue to near-cobalt coloration with exceptional clarity, occurring as tabular blades, rosettes, or complex intergrown forms reaching several centimeters. Notable finds include the late January 1990 recovery from the abandoned Bou Beker mine, which produced large miniatures to cabinet-sized specimens with both rosette-like plates and blocky crystals showing bright blue overgrowth faces alternating with darker zones. Production from various shafts—particularly Puits XII (Shaft XII)—yielded specimens often associated with malachite and cerussite on matrix. What distinguishes Touissit azurite is the characteristic silky to adamantine luster combined with color intensity rivaling Tsumeb and Bisbee material. European collectors have long recognized Touissit as a premier azurite locality, though the mines ceased operation decades ago.