Home > Copper Minerals – January 21 > MS1498 Olivenite

Olivenite - Sold


Olivenite is a copper arsenate named for its olive green color. While known since the 18th century, it was Scottish mineralogist Robert Jameson (1774-1854) who first applied the currently accepted name, olivenite, to this mineral species in his 1820 System of Mineralogy.

This specimen consists of a druse of olivenite crystals to 4 mm. The crystals form a tight coverage in an open vug in altered matrix. Very nice for the species. Formerly in the Victor Hoffman collection. A label from Ward's also accompanies the specimen.