Germanite

specimen number:
2062891

location:
Tsumeb Mine, Otjikoto, Namibia

description:
A rich mass of germanite. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark.

The Tsumeb mine in Namibia is a world-renowned, deep-seated polymetallic ore deposit hosted in a steep, pipe-like carbonate structure formed within Precambrian dolomite and limestone. Known historically for indigenous extraction, formal mining began around the turn of the twentieth century and continued for nearly a century, yielding massive quantities of lead, copper, and zinc alongside an astonishing diversity of rare secondary minerals. Among its unique scientific treasures is germanite, a rare copper iron germanium sulfide mineral first discovered at Tsumeb in 1922. Named directly for its high content of the technology-critical element germanium, germanite typically occurs as dark metallic masses or grains embedded within the primary sulfide ores, cementing the mine's status as a premier global locality for mineral collectors and researchers alike.

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