Smithsonite

specimen number:
2133135

location:
Tsumeb Mine, Otjikoto, Namibia

description:
Large lustrous translucent crystals of smithsonite to 1.5 cm are in size across the top of matrix. Slight cleaving on the backside edge of the piece, all of the prominent crystals are in good condition and the piece displays well.

The Tsumeb Mine in northern Namibia is one of the most famous mineral localities in the world and was worked from the late 1800s until 1996 for copper, lead, and zinc. The deposit is a complex pipe like ore body with exceptionally rich oxidized zones that produced a very large number of mineral species. Mining was carried out through deep underground workings and yielded both important ore production and outstanding mineral specimens. Smithsonite occurs at Tsumeb as botryoidal masses and crystalline coatings in a wide range of colors including blue, green, pink, and purple, formed by the alteration of zinc minerals.

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