Plumbogummite ps. Pyromorphite

A gorgeous example of this rare replacement pseudomorph, from the extensive Chinese minerals suites of the Smale collection. This piece has wonderful aesthetics, and is like a pocket of crystals with a drapery pulling over the top. It is a tight cluster, unlike many of the sprays of more outward-facing crystals we often see, for a different aesthetic. The color is particularly pleasing. Note how this is a partial replacement in that you can see both the original green pyromorphite AND the altered mineral atop, the plumbogummite. A super rare species, plumbogummite was previously not known in specimens so large and rich as this one mine produced in China for just a few years. Still not sure why, but some western sources call this the "Laohuan" mine, anyway still in Yangshuo, a major tourist site for nature and scenery in Southern China (and 2 hours from our China office location).