Detailed information
Species
Smithsonite
Dimensions
46 x 82 x 40
mm
Locality
Lavrion Attikí Prefecture Greece
Condition
No recorded repairs
Smithsonite from the Lavrion mining district is always a pleasure to see and admire. The exact locality of much of the specimen material from here is often unknown due to the complexity of its mines and a reluctance to give away where to find such good material; a practice employed the world-over! This gorgeous minty-turquoise green specimen is most likely from one of the major mines in the Kamariza district. Literally hundreds of miles of tunnels connect these mines in a spider's web of interconnected passageways, so often the shaft or adit a specimen exits from is not the mine it originated in! Botryoidal globes to 2.5 cm diameter form a druse over banded and layered paler peppermint-green Smithsonite, on a massive Smithsonite matrix mixed with orange-tan Dolomite. The final icing on the cake is tiny scattered individual Calcite crystals to about 2 mm across, small but aesthetic. These commonly form hexagonal crystals with an intense white outer rim and a semi-transparent prism core which allows the colour of the underlying green Smithsonite to penetrate. A classic Lavrion Smithsonite which will make a superb addition to any good collection.
