Detailed information
Dimensions
64 x 83 x 46
mm
Weight
10 g
Locality
Tsumeb Mine Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region Namibia
Condition
No recorded repairs
Unique to Tsumeb mine is the association of finely crystallized Smithsonite encapsulating earlier tetrahedral Tennantite crystals. This small cabinet-sized specimens displays this combination very well with the tiny glossy colourless Smithsonite crystals looking grey due to the colour of the underlying Tennantite crystals which, individually reaching up to 3 cm across, form a very well-crystallized aggregate. With the splitting up of the Tennantite and Tetrahedrite groups of minerals most Tsumeb crystals are now considered to be Tennantite-(Zn) and with alteration to Smithsonite (zinc carbonate) one could expect that the Tennantite is indeed zinc-rich. A quite impressive display of this important stage of oxidation from Tsumeb mine.
