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Home > Mexico IV Ojuela II – January 19 > MS1742 Zincolivenite with Conichalcite

Zincolivenite with Conichalcite - Sold

• Mina Ojuela
• Mapimí
• Durango
• Mexico

• 6.1 × 4.7 × 3.1 cm – Miniature specimen (fits into a 5 cm cube)

Zincolivenite is a recently described (Chukanov et al., 2007) stoichiometric intermediate between olivenite, Cu₂(AsO₄)(OH), and adamite, Zn₂(AsO₄)(OH). Zincolivenite has the ideal formula CuZn(AsO₄)(OH). Zincolivenite represents the greatest possible copper content in the adamite crystal structure. With additional copper incorporation (somewhere around Cu:Zn = 3:1), the symmetry changes to monoclinic, which is definitive for olivenite.

Zincolivenite here forms spheres to 2.5 mm in a conichalcite lined vug in limonite matrix. The zincolivenite spheres are intensely emerald green, and very brilliant. Minor calcite is also present. This sample dates to mid 1950s or early 1960s. The identification of this species at Ojuela relies on a combination of Raman and single crystal X-ray diffraction methods.