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Pharmacosiderite
Pharmacosiderite is one of a small group of secondary arsenate-bearing species that were first found in Cornwall during the late 18th and early 19th century and which have, in the intervening two centuries never been bettered, anywhere. Initially, because of its green colour and small quantity of material available, thought to be a copper arsenate, a new discovery made in the Mutterel Lode at Wheal Gorland during the latest years of the 18th century allowed a more thorough identification to be made. That find, described in detail by William Phillips in 1811 produced the very richest specimens and is almost certainly from where this very richly crystallized specimen came. As with many Pharmacosiderites, the colour rendition through the medium of photography is challenging and the crystals on this piece are much nearer to bottle-green in colour in real life, perhaps with a hint of olive-green. The whole specimen is a rich gossan with many quite large cavities completely lined with excellent cubic crystals individually reaching 2 mm on edge. Accompanying this specimen is a very large handwritten German label from the K.K. Geologische Reichsanstalt (Imperial Geological Survey) in Vienna, which was founded in 1849. That, and a more recent Austrian collector label, record the presence of Liroconite and Pharmacosiderite, but there is no Liroconite to be seen, but nor does Liroconite really occur associated with such rich Pharmacosiderite. The original locality is recorded as "Redruth" but this was common for many specimens from the St. Day area. A very rich, and bright Cornish Pharmacosiderite.
Unknown Owner
Product details
Species
SizeSmall Cabinet
Dimensions6.4 x 5.0 x 3.4 cm
Locality
Muttrell's Lode, Wheal Gorland, St. Day United Mines, Gwennap, Cornwall, England
Added on12/07/2025
Comments
Known provenance
2025/12
Unknown Owner
$850.00—Species and Locality Wiki Pages
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