Home > American Localities – September 25 > MS0784 Olivenite

Olivenite - Sold


Olivenite is a copper arsenate named for its olive color. Known since the 18th century, Jameson (1820) finally assigned the mineral its current name. While copper and arsenic are present in many orebodies, large concentartions of olivenite are comparatively rare. The mines of Tintic are well known for their outstanding olivenite, such as this example. The olivenite crystals reach 3 mm on this example. This specimen has a heavy matrix of malachite, hosting a pocket, 4 cm across, protruding from the heavy malachite matrix. From the Bob Trimingham collection, distributed at the Denver 2013 show. Formerly in the Marion Godshaw collection.