"The Smithsonian and Harvard have many more superb Tsumeb azurite specimens than any other museum in the world.” 1 Many times I have been to localities like Tsumeb just before the Tucson Gem and Mineral show and knew about what my foreign competition had bought. Specimens and all other fine collectibles gravitate to those who can pay the most money for them. There are however fewer good Tsumeb azurites in Germany or the Republic of South Africa than you might imagine.
After 1920 and until its recent independence it was controlled by South Africa. Remember, it used to be called German West Africa (or more accurately German South West Africa). The reason that some of them escaped the clutches of the collectors of the great capitalistic colossus is that Germans controlled Tsumeb for many years. This is not to say that there aren’t some excellent specimens in Germany and the Republic of South Africa. was about the only place to sell minerals specimens both times Tsumeb was producing oxidation zone minerals. It has been my experience that most mineral collectors, particularly North Americans, have unrealistically high standards for acquisition of azurite, as well as many other Tsumeb species this has been caused by the remarkably large number of superb Tsumeb specimens in American museums which deceptively suggest that many more must be available, possibly in Germany or Africa. There are perhaps several thousand good azurite specimens that have been saved over the years, but large, fine crystals or crystal groups number only a few. It is a very rare mineral in superb specimens. “I am convinced that no more than 50 great azurite specimens exist in all the mineral collections of the world. A small 5 cm specimen in the Freilich collection sold at auction for $2400. Look around at even a big gem and mineral show and you will likely not find a single fine one, let alone a great one for sale. Good azurite specimens from here are talked about and there are many pictures of them, but they are anything but common. Of all the trips I made to Tsumeb during the 60s and 70s I was never able to buy a really great azurite there. There is not one shown here that would cost less than a thousand dollars and in most instances the lesser specimens here would cost more than $10,000. Would one bring a million dollars? Possibly. How much would the best Tsumeb azurites bring? Certainly much more than $100,000 dollars. The rest of the Tsumeb azurites illustrated in this article will further acquaint you with some of the wonderful specimens that Tsumeb has produced over the years and show you the kinds of specimens you may be able to obtain, if your wallet can stand the strain.
Forget it, you probably will never get one like that either. Notice the partial alteration to malachite in places. Woodhouse collection at the University of California at Santa Barbara, whereas the other is displayed in Graz, Austria Look at these specimens, The specimen on the left is in the C.D. So far they have not been very successful. After the mine and smelter shut down, a group from England worked some of the upper levels for a while trying to recover azurite and other mineral specimens. Many interesting things to see and much of its landscape makes the visitor from Arizona think that perhaps he is still in Arizona until some strange animal like a big kudu runs across the road and the illusion disappears. When you learn what this place has produced you will understand why collectors get a little twitchy when they think about this place. Tsumeb is home of a copper mine that has origins in the last half of the 19th century and has been producing copper ore and wonderful specimens of azurite and other minerals ever since though it was recently closed. Namibia was formerly South West Africa or, even earlier, German South West Africa.
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