Smithsonite with Beudantite from Namibia, Oshikoto Region, Tsumeb

Smithsonite with BeudantiteTsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region, Namibia

5.7 x 3.4 x 2.4 cm

This is a really interesting and spectacular piece from Tsumeb. Lustrous bubblegum-pink botryoids of smithsonite lay separated on this matrix specimen. The habit is one of wrinkled, mammillary texture of the species rather than the more common rhombohedral habit. The pink coloration is likely (although not labeled as such) minor cobalt substitution in the zinc carbonate molecule. The smithsonite is scattered across a bed of dark, sub-metallic beudantite micro-crystals, a lead-iron arsenate-sulfate, that forms a dense drusy covering of chocolate-brown to near-black tones, giving the pink botryoids a striking contrast base. Sprinkled throughout are small colorless to white druzy crystals, likely dolomite or quartz, adding sparkle to the matrix. The specimen is not the most common Tsumeb association and similar to one on the Harvard Tsumeb Mine site, possibly from the same find.