Home > Skorpion, Broken Hill, Salmo – July 24 > MS1380 Hopeite

Hopeite - Sold


Hopeite is a zinc phosphate mineral, originally described from Belgium (Brewster, 1826). The mineral name honors Thomas Charles Hope (1766-1844), professor of chemistry at the University of Edinburgh. The mineral remained an esoteric rarity until the recognition of its second occurrence at Broken Hill (Spencer, 1908).

This specimen of hopeite consists entirely of intergrown crystals (to 6 mm). The hopeite has a characteristic orange-brown coloration, likely the results of oxidation of some iron in the crystal structure. This specimen was part of the personal collection of Ralph Merrill, proprietor of the prolific mail order business Minerals Unlimited. Merrill's card indicates this specimen was material collected by George Burnham.