Smithsonite var. Cobaltian

$6,500.00

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Gorgeous, large, rich-pink-red crystals of luscious rich pink cobaltian-smithsonite cover the display face of this large, 3-dimensional and attractive Tsumeb display specimen. The crystals are immediately impactful! This is a fantastic example of this rare varietal, where the pink-red color is known to be due to cobalt substitution in some molecular positions within the smithsonite crystal lattice. The colors are normally shades of pink, while here we have an erratically fantastic stronger color. These translucent smithsonites are super-lustrous and range in size to 2 cm in maximum dimension; and display beautiful internal reflections just make these large crystals "pop" with sparkle when well lit! It is hard to convey how impressive this is. The more red tones of this style of smithsonite are distinct compared to the pastel pink hues of various other styles of cobaltoan smithsonite from Tsumeb, this strong pink-red color varietal being far more rare. It is almost the color you see, even more rarely, with manganese induced color in a Tsumeb smithsonite - although those have a different crystal shape; and we can safely conclude this is a cobalt-rich crystal variety, although with color that looks at first like the manganese-rich variety. Overall, whatever the source of color, this is a showy and well-balanced piece with large and fine crystals of this variety! From the incredible Tsumeb suite of the Pohl collection. Dr. Erika Pohl-Ströher #72151