Olivenite with Quartz

Unknown Owner

A classic smaller, but not-the-less very richly crystallized Olivenite with Quartz from the famous Wheal Unity at St. Day in Cornwall. Wheal Unity was one of the first localities where Olivenite was found (way back in the late 1700s) and remains the site where many of the world's finest specimens of this species came. This miniature specimen shows the classic association of Olivenite overgrowing Quartz vein material which in this case is nicely crystallized partially iron-stained Quartz. The Olivenite crystals reach several millimetres in size, are very sharply formed and extremely glossy, making for a fine small display. Ex Malcolm Southwood Collection, no. MS 2000.063 and comes with another well-known West Country collector's label. The earliest date recorded on the labels in 1987, but there is a strong likelihood that this specimen dates back several centuries.