Guide
Adamite specimens for sale
84 for sale · $75–$7,500 USD
518 in the gallery
Adamite is a zinc arsenate mineral that commonly forms prismatic to tabular crystals and radiating or acicular aggregates. It typically displays bright green to yellow-green colors and a vitreous to adamantine luster, often occurring in well-formed crystals or tiny, glittering fans in secondary parageneses. Specimens are frequently associated with secondary oxide and sulfide minerals in oxidized ore deposits, and notable localities yield rich, lightly bladed or prismatic crystals that are highly photogenic for collection and display.
- Formula
- Zn2(AsO4)(OH)
- Rarity
- Rare
- Stability
- Moderately Stable
- Collector interest
- Very High Interest
- Classification notes
- Arsenate mineral; zinc-arsenate hydrate (Zn2AsO4(OH)2)
Key characteristics
- Crystal system
- orthorhombic
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5
- Specific gravity
- 4.3–4.5
- Luster
- vitreous, adamantine
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Color
- colorless, white, yellow, green, blue, pink, violet, brown
- Streak
- white
- Cleavage
- distinct
- Fracture
- uneven, subconchoidal
- Crystal habit
- prismatic, tabular, acicular, radiating, botryoidal, druzy, granular, massive
- Fluorescent: green, yellow
- Classic / historic
Buy Adamite specimens
View all 84Where Adamite is found
Top localities
- Ojuela Mine328 specimens
- Hilarion Mine35 specimens
- Mapimí19 specimens
- Kamariza Mines16 specimens
- Tsumeb15 specimens
- Gold Hill Mine7 specimens
- Mohawk mine6 specimens
- Christiana Mine4 specimens
- West Camp4 specimens
- Gold Hill2 specimens
Guides
All guides
Guide
Adamite from Tsumeb Mine, Namibia
Adamite from Tsumeb Mine, Namibia — sharp yellow to yellow-green crystals on smithsonite; prized for large crystal size, complex paragenesis, and provenance.Read guide
Guide
Adamite from Ojuela Mine, Mexico
Ojuela Mine, Mexico — adamite with yellow-green pinwheel crystals, blue cuprian and purple manganoan varieties, strong UV fluorescence, a top collector localityRead guide
Guide
Adamite from Lavrion Mining District, Greece
Adamite from Lavrion, Greece – emerald to apple-green botryoids and glassy aggregates on gossan; a complex supergene mineral from a storied Pb-Zn-Ag district w…Read guideAbout Adamite
Among the well-known sources are Mexico and Namibia, with classic pockets producing sharp crystals that can be sunlit and highly reflective. Other significant sites include Greece, the United States, and Russia, where adamite occurs in desert varnish or secondary sulfide-rich zones and forms distinctive crystals that enhance display cases. Collectors value adamite for its vibrant coloration, varied crystal habits, and the way light plays on the transparent to translucent faces. Its relative rarity in well-formed crystals and its dramatic bouquet of forms make it a desirable addition to mineral cabinets and display specimens.
