Smithsonite (classic old Ireland locale)

Item Description

Lemon-yellow, translucent, smithsonite botryoids richly and attractively cover the quartz-rich matrix on this colorful example from this extinct small Irish zinc deposit worked in about 1862-63 (MINDAT). Mined for the sphalerite, the smithsonite was originally left on the spoil mounds as gangue material! The yellow color is caused by trace amounts of cadmium. We almost never see these for sale today! Pieces like this were said to be collected in remining of the dumps in the 1960s and 1970s, but few are to be found today. Classic old-time material valued by the former dealer at $480.