Smithsonite (cadmium-bearing) (classic Irish locale)

Item Description

The Sheshodonnell Mine in Ireland produced some beautiful Smithsonite specimens, some of the most eye-catching from anywhere in Europe. The entry for this locality on mindat.org states that there was a vein of Sphalerite that COMPLETELY altered to Smithsonite over the length of about 100m, producing these beautiful yellow specimens which get their color due to a tiny amount of cadmium content. This piece is a lovely toenail sized example of these elusive and sought specimens featuring gorgeous yellow botryoidal aggregates on minor matrix. The surface luster has an almost velvety quality. These specimens are quite similar to the valuable old classics from the famous Masua Mine in Italy, and compare quite favorably to the contemporary specimens from Wenshan, China. The Sheshodonnell Mine is long closed and bulldozed and you'll never see any more specimens of this material again, so don't miss out on getting your hands on one of these incredibly rare and beautiful pieces from the British Isles. From the collection of Colin Manlove.