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Mineral Specimens with Smithsonite
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3.4 x 2.9 x 2.6 cm, 3.3 x 2.4 x 2.1 cm, 2.9 x 2.4 x 1.4 cm. The old works at Choix have been re-mined in recent years for specimens, and have turned out some of the best smithsonites ever, in a variety of beautiful shades. Here are three pastel pink specimens, with a shimmering, pearly luster.
3.8 x 3.8 x 1.8 cm. What appears to be a silvery coating on this famous "apple-green" 79 Mine smithsonite is actually just high reflectivity from the luster that the camera picked up. This specimen is from a small trickle that came out of this old mine in the past few years as a couple of guys went back into the old works to see if they find more specimens there.
21.4 x 10.4 x 9.3 cm. One of the biggest Choix smithsonites I personally have ever seen, and rippling with beautiful blue-green botryoids. This is a ridge of matrix on which a thick crust of smithsonite piled up. The color is variegated in shades of blue and green, and the luster is superb. From large finds of 3-4 years ago now.
3.6 x 2.7 x 1.8 cm. Green cuprian smithsonite has always been a highly desirable, but less-common smithsonite varietal from the Tsumeb Mine. This fine miniature is a solid crust of gemmy and lustrous sea-green smithsonite rhombs. Gemmy Tsumeb cuprian smithsonite is rare and this is old material from the upper levels of this famous mine. Ex. Rob Smith Collection.
Lustrous, transparent to translucent pale yellow cadmium smithsonite crystals from Tsumeb. Cadmium smithsonite is the rarest of all the smithsonites from Tsumeb. Pristine. 5.3 x 4.1 x 2.8 cm
Lustrous, translucent and lightly etched pink cobaltian smithsonite crystals to 7 mm on matrix from Tsumeb. Old material. 4.0 x 3.1 x 1.6 cm
3.3 x 2.9 x 1.9 cm. A classic, sharp and pristine, 2.8 cm, malachite-coated cuprite crystal from the famous 1973 find at the Ogonja Mine of Namibia. The crystal is artfully attached to a shard of matrix covered with contrasting smithsonite rhombs. Ex. Rob Smith Collection.
6.4 x 4.9 x 3.2 cm. This is a very old specimen of Namibian green smithsonite that spent time in Germany, according to the antique label that accompanies it, before being brought to America, where it moved from an old collection. Presumably it came from a now-obscure zinc mine. It is not only rare, but it is actually quite pretty in color.
5.5 x 2.5 x 1.9 cm. Polished into the shape of a lemon wedge (and with pretty lemony color, too), this is a specimen of smithsonite that almost certainly dates back to the 1800s. It is from the island of Sardinia off the coast of Italy. The backside and bottom are a creamy white color - the side facing you is a band of the translucent yellow smithsonite.
7.1 x 3.2 x 2.9 cm. The cobalt content of these smithsonite crystals is what gives them their pretty pastel-pink color. From the Tsumeb Mine. Pink smithsonite from here sets a standard for crystallized colored smithsonite.
11.0 x 7.2 x 6.0 cm. An outstanding cabinet specimen of silky, lavender to lavender-gray, botryoidal smithsonite from Choix, Mexico. This super piece has fabulous, upright architecture, nicely complimented by the bit of matrix on the lower left. The backside adds a bonus, with more smithsonite, and also reveals the interesting, layered smithsonite on the matrix.
3.7 x 3.2 x 3.0 cm. Gemmy and lustrous, pink cobaltoan smithsonite rhombs richly and aesthetically cover the sulfide matrix on this excellent miniature from the Tsumeb Mine. The crystals are especially gemmy on this piece. Small, but choice. Ex. Rob Smith Collection.
Just say the word “Kelly” and visions of superb blue Smithsonites pop into the mind. And here is one of them! You can see just by looking at it that it is a really old piece of style quite different than the more contemporary botryoidal growths we see on the market. These crystals, affectionately called "rice-grains" , are often mentioned in old accounts of the Kelly but in practice are exceedingly hard to find for sale or in collections in the modern day. This one has superb LARGE "rice-grain" crystals with wonderful blue color and a lustrous velvety texture. It has a long history and is just waiting for its next lucky home: It originated in the collection of noted dealer WC Hart (see MR vol. 12 pages 135-136 from 1981 for notes on his career) who was an avid collector and dealer in the 1920s and 1930s. It passed from his daughter to collector John Almquist, in 1981. Then, it went to dealer Dave Crawford through a trade, and he eventually sold it to John Barlow in whose collection it resided til 1998 when I obtained it and sold the piece to the previous owner - it hasn't been on the public market, to my knowledge, since the time of Hart himself. 6 X 4.8 X 3.6 cm
The most famous Smithsonite locality in the world produced this beautiful light blue crust of large to very fine botryoids. The luster and color is EXCELLENT on this well-balanced piece that stands out as one of the most attractive mini's I have seen. With the Kelly Mine long closed, and specimens much in demand, grab this one while you can. 4.1 x 2.6 x 1 cm
The highly sought-after combination from the world-famous Kelly Mine in New Mexico. Lustrous light blue smithsonite on top of rich aurichalcite gives these specimens a beauty all their own. No longer available from the mine, these are getting harder and harder to find. This one is darned near unique for the balance and aesthetics of the association! 3.6 x 2.6 x 1.6 cm
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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
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share specimen![Smithsonite from Choix, Mun. de Choix, Sinaloa, Mexico [db_pics/mdpics/MD-200548a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-200548a.jpg)
![Smithsonite (Var: Cuprian Smithsonite) from 79 Mine (79th Mine; Seventy-Nine Mine; Seventy-Nine property; McHur prospect), Chilito, Hayden area, Banner District, Dripping Spring Mts, Gila Co., Arizona, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-203071a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-203071a.jpg)
![Smithsonite from Choix, Mun. de Choix, Sinaloa, Mexico [db_pics/mdpics/MD-203091a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-203091a.jpg)
![Smithsonite (Var: Cuprian Smithsonite) from Tsumeb Mine (Tsumcorp Mine), Tsumeb, Otjikoto (Oshikoto) Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-203255a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-203255a.jpg)
![Smithsonite from Tsumeb Mine (Tsumcorp Mine), Tsumeb, Otjikoto (Oshikoto) Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20549a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20549a.jpg)
![Smithsonite (Var: Cobaltoan Smithsonite) from Tsumeb Mine (Tsumcorp Mine), Tsumeb, Otjikoto (Oshikoto) Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20551a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20551a.jpg)
![Malachite, Cuprite, Smithsonite from Ogonja Mine (Onganja Mine), Ogonja (Onganja), Seeis, Windhoek District, Khomas Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-205921a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-205921a.jpg)
![Smithsonite from Khan range, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206094a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206094a.jpg)
![Smithsonite from Sardinia, Italy [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206161a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206161a.jpg)
![Smithsonite (Var: Cobaltoan Smithsonite) from Tsumeb Mine (Tsumcorp Mine), Tsumeb, Otjikoto (Oshikoto) Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206374a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206374a.jpg)
![Smithsonite (Var: Cobaltoan Smithsonite) from Tsumeb Mine (Tsumcorp Mine), Tsumeb, Otjikoto (Oshikoto) Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206374b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206374b.jpg)
![Smithsonite from Choix, Mun. de Choix, Sinaloa, Mexico [db_pics/mdpics/MD-207490a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-207490a.jpg)
![Smithsonite (Var: Cobaltoan Smithsonite) from Tsumeb Mine (Tsumcorp Mine), Tsumeb, Otjikoto (Oshikoto) Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-207529a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-207529a.jpg)
![Smithsonite from Kelly Mine, Magdalena District, Socorro Co., New Mexico, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20928a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20928a.jpg)
![Smithsonite from Kelly Mine, Magdalena District, Socorro Co., New Mexico, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20987a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20987a.jpg)
![Smithsonite, Aurichalcite from Kelly Mine, Magdalena District, Socorro Co., New Mexico, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20994a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20994a.jpg)