WarikahniteOnly found in three places on the planet (so far), it is a very rare zinc arsenate minera

WarikahniteOnly found in three places on the planet (so far), it is a very rare zinc arsenate mineral and macro sized crystals like the 0.9 x 0.4 x 0.1 cm specimen in the photo have only been found in Namibia’s Tsumeb mine, a mineral treasure trove (see http://on.fb.me/1c2CjkD). It formed in the oxidized zone of this complex deposit, where the primary sulphides have been altered by oxygen rich waters, though the how and why is still a matter of discussion.A recent discovery, first found in 1971 (and that only in a couple of small pockets in this gemmy quality), it was named after a German collector and dealer who sold many of the mine’s mineral specimens, and financed much research into the rare secondary minerals found there. The mineral ranges from yellow to brown and is far too soft for jewellery use, weighing in at 2 on Mohs scale. LozImage credit: Rob Lavinsky/iRocks.comhttp://www.mindat.org/min-4244.html -- source link

More pics about