Smithsonite

Help improve this record

No 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.

Botryoidal crystallized smithsonite covering the front of matrix. In good condition. Nice for this Greek classic.The Kamariza mines in Agios Konstantinos, Lavreotiki, have a long history spanning from antiquity to modern times. Systematic ancient mining began around the 5th century BC (following prehistoric use from the 3rd millennium BC) and largely ceased by the 1st century BC. Modern industrial exploitation revived in 1864 and continued under Greek and French companies until operations finally closed in 1978. Geologically, the deposit is situated within the Attic-Cycladic metamorphic complex, consisting of alternating sequences of Kamariza marbles and schists. Mineralization is characterized by polymetallic sulfide ores (galena, sphalerite, and pyrite) along contact zones and fault structures, which underwent extensive deep supergene oxidation to produce a rich variety of carbonate, sulfate, and arsenate secondary minerals.