Smithsonite with Brochantite, Dolomite

specimen number:
2312105

location:
Bou Beker, Jerada, Oriental, Morocco

description:
Gemmy botryoidal crystallized smithsonite across the front of a dolomite crystal matrix with green brochantite and blue linarite. In great condition. Attractive and unusual example for the species and locality.

The Touissit-Bou Beker district, located in the Oriental province of Morocco near the Algerian border, is part of a major Mississippi Valley-type lead and zinc mining region. Commercial mining operations developed extensively during the twentieth century, particularly following World War I, to extract base metals from the area. Geologically, the deposits are hosted within Jurassic carbonate platform rocks that overlie an older Paleozoic basement. Hydrothermal fluids circulating through fault systems and breccia zones heavily dolomitized the host rock and deposited base metal sulfides. The oxidized zones of these underground workings became famous among mineral collectors for producing well-crystallized specimens of azurite, anglesite, cerussite, vanadinite, and wulfenite.

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