Smithsonite

specimen number:
2092154

location:
Choix, Sinaloa, Mexico

description:
Bluish green slightly translucent botryoidal crystallized smithsonite across the top of matrix. This is in good condition. Classic for this Mexican locality.

Choix in Sinaloa, Mexico, is part of a historic mining region in northwestern Mexico where mining activity dates back to the colonial period, likely beginning in the 18th century with the extraction of silver and base metals from hydrothermal vein deposits hosted in volcanic rocks. Mining in the district continued intermittently through the 19th and into the 20th century, with operations generally declining as richer or more accessible deposits were developed elsewhere, and most activity had ceased by the mid 20th century. The geology is characterized by mineralized veins formed by metal rich fluids depositing lead, zinc, and silver minerals in fractures and fault zones. In the oxidized zones of these deposits, smithsonite developed as a secondary mineral, often occurring as botryoidal masses and smooth crusts in shades of green, blue, pink, purple or colorless. Smithsonite from Choix formed through the alteration of primary zinc minerals under near surface conditions and is valued for its color and texture, representing a classic example of Mexican secondary mineralization.

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