Cadmium Smithsonite on Galena

Unknown Owner

Help improve this recordNo owner is registered for this specimen yet. If it's yours or you know more about it, you can add the owner, provenance, publications and other details.

The orange, cadmium-bearing variety of Smithsonite is rarely seen as well-defined crystals anywhere in the world, except for Tsumeb mine, and specimens from Tsumeb are now very hard to come by except when older collections are recycled. Even then, larger, high-class specimens like this are extremely rare. Colourful and showy, and with the largest crystal reaching 1.7 cm cm on edge, this is exceptional. In common with most cadmium Smithsonite from Tsumeb mine, the initial Smithsonite is white to colourless indicating a relatively pure zinc carbonate with the orange colour developing later towards the edges of the crystals and becoming more intense in the larger crystals. This transition has produced a wonderful colour zonation within the crystals on this specimen, adding to its class. Furthermore, light transmits through the orange tips to produce a wonderful glow. Additionally, smaller twinned Smithsonite crystals can be seen growing out from the largest Smithsonite crystal. At small cabinet specimen in size, this specimen displays superbly well. A superb, rare yellow-orange Tsumeb Smithsonite from the generations-old Weyand collection.