Smithsonite (Cadmium-bearing)

Item Description

An eye-catching yellow Smithsonite specimen from Wenshan which first showed upon the market in the early 2010s. They actually weren't found in 2010, we later found out that the pieces were mined circa 2002-2003 and subsequently held back for many years, in the hopes that more would be found. Once they hit the market, they were wildly popular among collectors for their beautiful color and gorgeous form. The color is caused by cadmium content, which is often the case when one encounters yellow Smithsonites like this. These specimens are quite reminiscent of the old classic pieces that came from the Masua Mine in Italy many years ago. This is a lovely small cabinet specimen featuring botryoidal, strong yellow color Smithsonite with a resinous and almost "velvety" luster sitting on matrix. No damage I can see to the main Smithsonite aggregates, it's only rough along the periphery where it was removed from the pocket wall (there is one saw mark as well for reference).