Smithsonite (classic old Ireland locale)

Item Description

A sculptural elongated vug is lined with juicy, translucent, lemon-yellow bubbly cadmium-rich smithsonite botryoids with moderate luster surfaces. The sphalerite ore and matrix add contrast. This is a classic and desirable old-time species 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! 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 periphery wear has negligible impact to the high quality of this piece. Valued by the former dealer at $320.