Home > American Minerals III – May 26 > MS1579 Selenium

Selenium - Sold


Selenium is a rare nonmetallic element first discovered by Berzelius in 1817. The element was found as impurity in sulfuric acid production from Swedish ores. The name selenium comes from the Greek word for moon, selene. While known as an element for over a century, Palache (1934) described the first occurrence of native selenium from Arizona.

Selenium here forms microscopic needles on a fracture surface of sandstone.