Aragonite

specimen number:
8311406

location:
Tsumeb Mine, Otjikoto, Namibia

description:
Colorless crystals of aragonite, this is the variety known as tarnowitzite, measuring to 0.9 cm in size on matrix. In good condition.

The Tsumeb Mine, located in the Otavi Mountainland of northern Namibia, is a world-renowned polymetallic deposit and a premier locality for secondary minerals. Geologically, it is a pipe-like ore body hosted within Neo-Proterozoic carbonate rocks, particularly dolomite, where deep-reaching oxidation created an incredibly diverse mineralogical environment. The mine is famous for producing tarnowitzite, a plumbian variety of aragonite that contains significant amounts of lead in its crystal structure. This variety often forms sharp, lustrous, hexagonal-shaped crystals or radiating clusters that range from colorless to white or pale gray. Historically, the deposit was known by local San and Owambo people for centuries before German colonial interest led to the formation of the Otavi Minen-und Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft (OMEG). Industrial operations began in 1907 and continued with few interruptions until the mine finally closed in 1996 due to flooding and economic factors. Over its 89-year life, Tsumeb produced millions of tons of copper, lead, and zinc ore, while simultaneously providing the global mineral market with some of the most aesthetic and scientifically significant specimens ever recovered.

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