Smithsonite (rare ''cast'' after botryoidal Fluorite)

Item Description

This might be the first of its kind that we've had to offer in the auctions. I can't remember ever seeing another like it from any locality in Lavrion. This full cabinet display specimen features beatiful resinous Smithsonite aggregates which range from a soft blue-grey color to a gentle smoky-beige hue that have formed botryoidal "casts" (epimorphs/perimorphs) after preexsting Fluorite which has been dissolved away. There are some areas of dark earth brown Smithsonite that can be seen, and the underside features small bright blue-green patches as well for a nice touch. The piece is essentially 100% Smithsonite, with no matrix that I can find, and it's crystallized underneath, so it's largely crystallized all over. A really unique and special specimen that would make a fantastic addition to any Smithsonite / carbonate suite, a collection of pseudomorphs / "casts" or specimens from this immensely historic mining area.
The piece was mined in 2015 and comes from the collection of Christos Spiromitros