Smithsonite ps. Aragonite

Item Description

Tsumeb is famous for WEIRD minerals and mineral combinations, especially replacements (pseudomorphs) and here is a very unusual and very cool Smithsonite pseudomorph after Aragonite (certainly of the Tarnowitzite variety) from Tsumeb! This pseudomorph is quite large at just over 3 inches in length AND it's hollow looking down the length of the crystal! The external shape of the pieces is hexagonal and it's studded with a plethora of lustrous, scintillating, rhombohedral crystals of tan colored Smithsonite. The Smithsonite crystals are translucent and average 5 to 6 mm in size and completely cover the sides, top AND inside of the hollow Aragonite "cast". Looking down the long axis of the piece one can see that it is completely open all the way through and that the Smithsonites completely cover the interior! The replacement of this pseudomorph is complete as there is no vestige of the original Aragonite present! We have never seen anything quite like this! Note the low number in the collection, only in the 26000s, from around the time I was born in the 1970s!