Home > Mexico III Ojuela I – January 12 > MS1729 Adamite (Mn-rich)

Adamite (Mn-rich) - Sold


Adamite is a zinc arsenate. Friedel (1866) named the species after Gilbert-Joseph Adam (1795-1881), French mineralogist and mineral collector, who discovered the mineral on Chilean specimens. Adamite is a so-called allochromatic mineral species. Minor substitution of manganese for zinc imparts a purple color to the mineral. In 1981-1982, a legendary series of finds happened at Ojuela: large adamite crystals, some to 8-9 cm, separated on matrix, showing zones of rich purple coloration. Not only were the crystals purple (in part), they were of superlative size. Such specimens are widely considered the best of species for adamite.

This is a tight cluster of adamite crystals to 1.4 cm. The crystal centers are nearly white, the color grading to purple at the terminations. Zonation is typical of this material. Found 1981-1982. The matrix consists of black cryptomelane.