{"title":"Congo","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Democratic Republic of the Congo, historically known as Zaïre and centered on the mineral-rich province of Katanga (Shaba), ranks among the most prolific and scientifically important collecting regions on Earth. Its wealth comes from the \u003cstrong\u003eCentral African Copperbelt\u003c\/strong\u003e, a vast sediment-hosted copper-cobalt system hosted in the Katangan Supergroup, where oxidation of primary sulfides has produced one of the world's richest suites of secondary copper, cobalt, uranium, germanium and vanadium minerals. Legendary mining districts such as \u003cstrong\u003eKolwezi\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eLikasi\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eKambove\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eLubumbashi\u003c\/strong\u003e have supplied museums and private collections for over a century, while the fabled \u003cstrong\u003eShinkolobwe\u003c\/strong\u003e uranium deposit, source material for the first atomic bombs, is famed as the type locality for dozens of rare uranyl species.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCongo is above all synonymous with world-class \u003cstrong\u003emalachite\u003c\/strong\u003e, prized for silky fibrous stalactites, botryoidal crusts and banded, bulls-eye lapidary material from mines such as \u003cstrong\u003eMashamba West\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eKasompi\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eMindingi\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eL'Etoile du Congo\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eMusonoi\u003c\/strong\u003e. These same localities yield an extraordinary companion suite: \u003cstrong\u003echrysocolla\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003ecuprite\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eheterogenite\u003c\/strong\u003e (with Mindingi as its type locality), \u003cstrong\u003eazurite\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003epseudomalachite\u003c\/strong\u003e, and cobalt-bearing calcite, alongside rarer arsenates like clinoclase, conichalcite and olivenite. The \u003cstrong\u003eKipushi Mine\u003c\/strong\u003e near Lubumbashi is a mineralogical treasure house in its own right, celebrated for its zinc-lead-copper-germanium suite including type material of \u003cstrong\u003erenierite\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003ebriartite\u003c\/strong\u003e, plus \u003cstrong\u003egermanite\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003egallite\u003c\/strong\u003e, bright-blue \u003cstrong\u003eveszelyite\u003c\/strong\u003e, aurichalcite, and the emerald-green species \u003cstrong\u003ekipushite\u003c\/strong\u003e, in an assemblage often compared to Tsumeb in Namibia. Uranium-bearing localities such as Shinkolobwe, Swambo, and Kamoto have furnished dozens of type species — billietite, studtite, sengierite, kasolite, torbernite and cuprosklodowskite among them — making Katanga one of the richest type-locality regions in world mineralogy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeyond the copper-cobalt arc, Congo offers striking diversity: vivid green \u003cstrong\u003edioptase\u003c\/strong\u003e with rose-pink cobaltoan calcite from Tantara, blue acicular julienite from Shamitumba, and shattuckite-plancheite associations from Shangulowe, while the north hosts tin and columbite-tantalite pegmatites around Manono and Kalima, and Kasai's alluvial fields remain a major diamond source. For collectors, Congolese specimens are valued for saturated color, unusual crystal habits rarely matched elsewhere, and direct ties to a locality that has personally contributed more new mineral species to science than almost any other country. ITALMINERAL sources carefully documented Congo specimens for collectors seeking authentic, well-provenanced material from this legendary African mineral frontier.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"lz-geode-malachite-0","title":"MALACHITE – Large BOTRYOIDAL Green Geode from Congo – Aesthetic Specimen","description":"\u003cp\u003eLarge natural Malachite specimen with intense green botryoidal formations and strong aesthetic impact. The piece shows dense microcrystalline surfaces with vivid emerald coloration and a well-preserved structure with no damage. Highly decorative and visually striking, suitable for mineral collections and interior display.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"617\" data-end=\"634\"\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"635\" data-end=\"650\"\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 202 × 171 × 104 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"670\" data-end=\"681\"\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2.383 kg\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"691\" data-end=\"706\"\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e L’Étoile du Congo Mine, Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga, DR Congo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44313726713965,"sku":null,"price":649.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/IMG20260331182752.jpg?v=1776752854"},{"product_id":"lz-uranium-cuprosklodowskite-0","title":"URANIUM CUPROSKLODOWSKITE – Uranium Silicate Crystal from Congo – Rare Mineral","description":"\u003cp\u003eRare natural Cuprosklodowskite specimen from Musonoi, Kolwezi, Lualaba, Democratic Republic of Congo. The piece displays bright green radiating crystal aggregates on matrix with strong aesthetic contrast and excellent crystal definition. A rare uranium silicate mineral highly appreciated by advanced collectors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"760\" data-end=\"777\"\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"778\" data-end=\"793\"\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 50 × 28 × 16 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"810\" data-end=\"821\"\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 19.48 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"830\" data-end=\"845\"\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Musonoi, Kolwezi, Lualaba, DR Congo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44316646539373,"sku":null,"price":99.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/AGC_20240228_220036000.webp?v=1772303582"},{"product_id":"mun2025-crisocolla-d-r-congo-3","title":"CHRYSOCOLLA \u0026 HETEROGENITE – Azure-Blue on Black, Star Mine, DR Congo","description":"\u003cp\u003eA striking natural specimen combining vivid azure-blue Chrysocolla with lustrous, deep blue-black Heterogenite, entirely untreated and full of visual contrast. The smooth, rounded surfaces of both minerals create a dynamic interplay of color and texture, making this piece a strong aesthetic and mineralogical addition to any collection. It comes from the historic Star of the Congo Mine near Lubumbashi, a locality now depleted and no longer actively worked, which adds to the long-term collectible value of specimens like this one.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 71 x 61 x 49 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 91 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Star of the Congo Mine (L'Etoile du Congo Mine), Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45457011966061,"sku":null,"price":79.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/IMG20260318202900.jpg?v=1784027723"},{"product_id":"mun2025-crisocolla-eterogenite-d-r-congo-2","title":"CHRYSOCOLLA \u0026 HETEROGENITE – Deep Blue Contrast, Star Mine, D.R. Congo","description":"\u003cp\u003eA striking combination specimen featuring vivid azure-blue chrysocolla intergrown with lustrous midnight-blue heterogenite, from the well-known Star Mine (L'Etoile du Congo Mine) near Lubumbashi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The piece displays a well-developed botryoidal crust with a bold color contrast between the two minerals, creating strong visual depth and an eye-catching aesthetic ideal for display or collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineral Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 79 x 79 x 34 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 187 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Star Mine (L'Etoile du Congo Mine), Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga, D.R. Congo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"ITALMINERAL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45457012785261,"sku":null,"price":69.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/8027\/6333\/files\/IMG20260405172638.jpg?v=1784027913"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.italmineral.com\/collections\/congo.oembed","provider":"ITALMINERAL","version":"1.0","type":"link"}