Zincolivenite (formerly Cuprian Adamite)

Item Description

A wonderful association specimen from Tsumeb featuring attractive, razor-sharp, highly lustrous, gemmy, intense emerald green crystals of Zincolivenite (formerly known as "Cuproadamite" or "Cuprian Adamite" on old labels) which are associated with minor olive-green Olivenite and grey-black Chalcocite. For a long time, these "Adamite" crystals from Tsumeb were thought to be Cuproadamite, but recent analysis has shown they are in fact the recently approved species Zincolivenite (not to be confused with zinc-bearing Olivenite) which according to mindat.org is an, "intermediate member of the solid solution series between Olivenite and Adamite with a Zn:Cu ratio of (ideally) 1:1;". All of the former "Cuproadamites" from Tsumeb are now being relabeled as Zincolivenite. This piece is beautiful up close, and we've included some micro photos to better show the quality.
This piece comes from the collection of John Dagenais (#JD-934), a collector from the Pacific Northwest. John started collecting in 1969 and progressed to micromounting, and later built suites of specimens from the Chuquicamata Mine in Chile, the Tsumeb Mine in Namibia, the Majuba Hill Mine in Nevada, the Black Pine Mine in Montana and the Tintic District in Utah, among other places. You can visit John's mindat profile at https://www.mindat.org/user-647.html.