Minerals:  Cobalt Bearing Calcite
Locality: Bou Azzer Mine, Ouisselsate Caïdat, Amerzgane Cercle, Ouarzazate Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco
Dimensions: 130mm x 52mm x 38mm
Weight: 254.5g

This is an extraordinary cobalt bearing calcite from the Bou Azzer district, showing the intensely saturated gel like material that Morocco is so well known for. Much of this production was cut or polished for lapidary use, which makes larger natural specimens like this especially interesting to preserve in their original form.

The colour is exceptional. Bright bubblegum pink runs across the specimen, with some zones becoming so concentrated that they move towards deep raspberry and almost red. Along the sides you can see successive layers of cobalt bearing calcite, with multiple generations of deposition creating strong internal zoning and bands of colour.

The matrix tells its own story, with a dark goethite rich layer beneath the calcite and further mineral growth visible underneath. That black mineralisation gives the pink an even stronger visual impact, especially where the calcite becomes thicker and more saturated.

Across the top, the calcite has a waxy, gel like texture with rounded natural growth and soft undulations. It backlights beautifully, revealing even more depth through the pink, although the saturation is already intense in ordinary light.

This is a highly unusual example of cobalt bearing calcite from Bou Azzer. The size, colour zoning, layered growth and preservation of the natural surface make it a particularly exciting piece of material that is still far less familiar to collectors than the classic crystallised cobalt calcites from the district.