Cuprian Smithsonite with Calcite

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Cuprian, or copper-bearing Smithsonite, can occur in green or blue colours but is usually only seen in banded botryoidal masses. The great mineralogical wonder that is Tsumeb mine is the exception, having provided us with crystals of both colours, but both are rare indeed, and especially so in well-formed larger crystals. This pretty, very large miniature Cuprian Smithsonite, presents a really exquisite mint-green colour, in admittedly small, but extremely glassy, transparent crystals, that contrast wonderfully well with the accompanying snow-white Calcite. The Smithsonite crystals reach 3 to 4 mm in size and display a very unusual equant, pseudo cubo-octahedral form. Ex Weyand Collection.