Olmiite

Olmiite is a rare calcium-manganese silicate that was named after an Italian mineralogist called Filippo Olmi. It was approved by the IMA in 2006, with its first description published in 2007. Around 2001, a large amount of specimens believed to be poldervaartite was discovered at the N'Chwaning II mine, which is near the Wessels mine, where the latter was discovered. Only later were the researchers able to determine through their investigations that the two minerals are different, as they are visually indistinguishable. Until Renato Pagano acquired and examined the specimens, seemingly no specific investigation was carried out. Olmiite has been misidentified not only once, but twice. The cream-colored specimens were at first thought to be baryte by the mine geologist.