Smithsonite var. Cobaltian on Galena

Item Description

From the great Tsumeb Mine, this fine combination piece features glistening pink crystals of Cobaltoan Smithsonite on a Galena matrix. It has a surface layer of contrasting carbonate (presumably calcite but possibly siderite), as well. Smithsonites are considered one of the great Tsumeb's treasured species, and the excellent, silky luster and appealing pink color (Cobalt or possibly Manganese being the chromophore) help show why that is the case. The complex crystals group in clusters up to about 1.2 cm across, very bubbly and arborescent, as they reach up from the matrix. Underlying the thin carbonate coating is a matrix of intergrown, crystalline Galena. Interestingly, despite being one of the most famous copper/lead mines in the world, actual Galena specimens are oddly rare from Tsumeb. The lead seems to have been mostly dissolved and turned into other species. This is a good, aesthetic, small-cabinet specimen with several Tsumeb species on display.