Picture of the Day - Brain Malachite

Sometimes in nature the mineral malachite (particularly in Katanga, Congo) forms in a fashion that is physically hard enough to take a good polish. Likewise, it on occasion at that locale takes on a botryoidal formation. Much less common is when both features come together to create an odd-ball formation that is reminiscent of either cauliflower or the brain. I took the image below of one such specimen in my friend Dave's inventory as it appeared at this past weekend's Big Sur Jade Festival. 

Brain malachite - Katanga, Congo. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).