Scorodite

Unknown Owner

This small miniature specimen from Wheal Gorland in Cornwall features one of the important, but rarer arsenate species known from this famous mine. Scorodite, a hydrated iron arsenate, forms well-formed glossy blue-grey microcrystals within a cavity in Quartz veinstone. When Scorodite was first discovered at Wheal Gorland in the late 18th century it was thought to be a copper arsenate because of its colour, but was later proven to be iron-bearing instead. Crystallized specimens are always rare, much rarer than Olivenite and even Liroconite. This lovely example is Ex Malcolm Southwood collection, no. MS 1993.14.