Arsénico Nativo
Arsénico is a mineral with formula As, in the Elementos nativos group. This specimen comes from Bad Schlema, Aue-Bad Schlema, Erzgebirgkreis, Sajonia, Alemania and joined the Terrium collection in 2025.
Description
Worn nodule of granular native arsenic, dull dark ash-grey. Shows the well-known but rare concentric "Scherbenkobalt" habit—shell-like botryoidal growth of concentric layers around a precipitation point. Carries minute champagne-coloured fluorite crystals.
History of this specimen
Ex-collection Christian Bley and ex-collection Lothar Otter. I added it to my collection numbered "111", in reference to its odd weight of 111.1 grams. The original label noted proustite, but in my own review I found that the tiny crystals, besides being champagne-coloured rather than red, responded under ultraviolet with the exact, typical violet fluorescence of fluorite.
About Arsénico
It is a very rare native element mineral. Native arsenic occurs in hydrothermal zones rich in cobalt, nickel and silver sulphides, commonly adopting botryoidal and laminated habits. It is usually accompanied by silver minerals. A classic assemblage from the Schlema-Hartenstein District.
About the locality
The Schlema-Hartenstein District (Erzgebirge, Saxony) is one of Europe’s most renowned for the historic extraction of silver, uranium and associated minerals. Arsenic and sulphosalt mineralisations have made the district a classic reference in collections. Today, botryoidal arsenic pieces are a rare testimony to the intense mining of the 18th–20th centuries.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0111
- Composition
- As
- Name
- Arsénico
- Variety
- Nativo
- Group
- Elementos nativos
- Category
- Meritum Persé
- Matrix
- Arsénico botroidal masivo
- Associations
- fluorita
- Mine
- Bad Schlema
- District / Municipality
- Aue-Bad Schlema
- Province
- Erzgebirgkreis
- Region
- Sajonia
- Country
- Alemania
- Size (cm)
- 7 x 3.6 x 3.3
- Weight
- 111.1 g
- Acquired
- 2025
- Ex-collection
- Christian Bley > Lothar Otter
- Etymology
- From the Greek "arsenikon", formerly applied to orpiment; hence "arsenic".
- Quality
- Muy buena
- Value trend
- Al alza
Related specimens
- Autunita — Alemania
- Cobre — Australia
- Estroncianita — Alemania
- Hematites (Especularita Azul) — Alemania
- Natrozippeita — Alemania
- Oro (Nativo) — Rumanía
- Oro (Nativo) — Canadá
- Oro (Nativo) — Estados Unidos