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Smithsonite

Unknown Owner

Botryoidal mounds built from composite clusters of glassy colourless Smithsonite form an impressive specimen from the Tsumeb mine in Namibia. The Smithsonite crystals are developed up to 7 mm across and are a mix of translucent and reasonably transparent crystal forms. Many contain pale tangerine centres causing an overall mottled pastel orange colouration. The concealed Smithsonite matrix reveals fine granular sulphides, predominantly Chalcocite, mixed with the Smithsonite.

Product details

Species

SmithsoniteAbout Smithsonite →

SizeCabinet

Dimensions8.5 x 10.8 x 6.4 cm

Added on10/24/2024

Locality

Namibia, Oshikoto Region, TsumebRegional guide →

Known provenance

Date	Collector	Acquisition price
—	Unknown Owner	$900.00
—	Crystal Classics	Not disclosed

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Smithsonite

Learn about Smithsonite

ZnCO3 with botryoidal and crystalline forms, silky to vitreous luster, pastel hues from cobalt to yellow; localities boost collecting appeal.

Smithsonite

Smithsonite from Tsumeb, Namibia

is one of the defining collector minerals of Tsumeb: not merely because it is common there, but because Tsumeb turns a usually massive or botryoidal zinc carbonate into a locality signature mineral with uncommon crystal variety, depth of color, and association. Tsumeb smithsonite spans the familiar apple-greens and blue-greens of copper-bearing material, soft pink to violet-pink cobaltoan and manganoan-looking rhombs, yellow-brown and chocolate-brown iron-rich crystals, pale grey to white crusts, colorless to translucent rhombs, and rare red-pink material from the deeper oxidized workings. The best specimens combine sharp rhombohedral or scalenohedral crystals with the sculptural mineralogical theater for which Tsumeb is famous: galena-rich sulfide matrix, sugary dolomite, black tennantite and pyrite ore, cerussite, mimetite, malachite, wulfenite, duftite, dioptase, and willemite.