Cerussite (J-104)

specimen number:
9273227

location:
Tsumeb Mine, Otjikoto, Namibia

description:

An absolutely superb loose twinned crystal grouping of glassy gemmy cerussite without matrix. The crystals are razor-sharp and complete all around, in outstanding condition for the species which normally shows some kind of damage somewhere. A superb piece.

The Tsumeb mine, located in the Oshikoto region of northern Namibia, was a legendary underground polymetallic operation renowned for its remarkably complex chemistry. Geologically, the deposit consists of a steeply dipping, pipe-like breccia structure that penetrates deep into the thick Neoproterozoic carbonate sequences of the Otavi Group dolomite. Hydrothermal fluids filled this pipe-like conduit with massive primary copper, lead, and zinc sulfides, which later underwent intense, deep-reaching groundwater oxidation to create distinct mineralized zones holding hundreds of different species. While indigenous peoples had surface-mined the outcroppings for centuries, formal corporate development began under the Otavi Minen und Eisenbahn Gesellschaft, which initiated large-scale industrial mining and smelting in 1907. The property was later acquired by the Tsumeb Corporation Limited in 1947, marking a major mid-century production boom of deep shaft underground extraction. Following nearly nine decades of continuous output, a combination of declining ore grades, labor disputes, and severe flooding led to the permanent closure of the mine in 1996.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.