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Tarbuttite on Sphalerite

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Tarbuttite is a rare zinc phosphate hydroxide, first described from the remarkable lead-zinc oxidation zone discovered at Kabwe mine (Broken Hill mine) in Zambia in the early 1900s. Specimens grace historic museum and mining school collections, but are rarely available in private collections. This well-crystallized miniature specimen from the Type Locality is from the superb systematic collection assembled by brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021). The crystals have a superficial appearance like Selenite (a variety of Gypsum), but are triclinic rather than monoclinic in form. Distinctly different shaped crystals of Tarbuttite were discovered later at Skorpion mine in Namibia, but the original Kabwe mine crystals remain unique in their form. On this specimen the Tarbuttite crystals line a cavity covering the entirety of one side of the specimen with many of the bladed crystals reaching over 5 mm in length. A lovely miniature of this rare phosphate species.