Vivianite

Vivianite is a hydrated iron phosphate mineral that is a relatively rare mineral and is often recognized by its deep blue or blue-green color, although it can also appear colorless, white, gray, or yellowish when it weathers or dehydrates. The name “vivianite” is derived from the Latin name for its discoverer, John Henry Vivian, who was a British industrialist and mine owner in the 19th century. The combination of iron and phosphate ions with water molecules in its crystal structure gives vivianite its unique properties, including its color and its tendency to form attractive, well-formed crystals. Vivianite is often found as prismatic or bladed crystals, and its color can vary from deep azure blue to greenish-blue. It is known for its vibrant and attractive appearance.

The crystal is extremely fragile and, when freshly formed, is often pale white or transparent, but its color actually changes when it is exposed to light. This is caused by oxidation, which continues to darken the crystal through shades of blue, to darker green and purple, and eventually a thick purplish black. Vivianite is commonly found in swampy and boggy areas due to the anaerobic conditions and ample organic material, providing a source of phosphate ions. Also in water-rich environments, such as wetlands and marshes and can be associated with iron ore deposits. It has been found in Bolivia, Germany, Russia, the United States and England.

Vivianite has been found growing on organic materials such as fossil shells, animal waste deposits, and even on decomposing bodies. Our bodies contain plenty of phosphate, especially in our teeth and bones, which is released into the surrounding environment when we start to decompose. In rare conditions, where the surrounding area contains water and iron, the phosphate can react and form mineral vivianite. In most cases, vivianite has been observed on bodies that have been buried for several centuries where it has formed on the bones and teeth. There are also far older examples where it has been found on the tusks of mammoths and the bones of other animals that are several thousands of years old, but there are a few instances where it has been identified on more recent human bodies.

Vivianite has also been found on the body – inside and outside the skin and in the lung tissue – of “Ötzi”, the 5,300-year-old iceman discovered by a German tourist in the Tirolean Ötztal Alps in 1991. It is believed that the crystal formed on the body at the points where it had contact with iron-containing rocks.