Smithsonite (classic old Ireland locale)

Item Description

The curved vug on this sculptural miniature is filled with frosted lemon-yellow, translucent cadmium-rich smithsonite botryoids on this colorful and rich specimen. Mined for the sphalerite, the smithsonite was originally left on the spoil mounds as gangue material! 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. The bit of periphery wear has negligible impact to the high quality of this piece. The older price by the former dealer was $280 on this piece.