Olivenite with Zincian OLIVINITE

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Zincolivenite is the structural and chemical intermediate species between Olivenite (copper end member) and Adamite (zinc end member). Known for many years under the name Cuprian Adamite it was finally approved as a separate species in 2006. Although Agios Konstantinos (Kamariza) in Greece is the designated Type Locality the finest known crystals are those from Tsumeb mine in Namibia. This wonderful small cabinet specimen from Tsumeb mine displays superb wedge-shaped pearlescent mid-green Zincolivenite crystals coating matrix but with a transition to glossy dark olive-green Olivenite crystals at one end of the specimen. The individual Zincolivenite crystals reach 5 mm across and the Olivenite a little smaller but both are excellent examples. This combination of both species is unusual, and their visual differences show up really nicely. A quite distinctive and showy Tsumeb specimen.