Detailed information
Species
Willemite
Dimensions
41 x 50 x 19
mm
Weight
36 g
Locality
Tsumeb Mine Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region Namibia
Condition
No recorded repairs
First described from Belgium (in what at the time was part of the Netherlands) the zinc silicate species Willemite is now known from many occurrences worldwide, but remains a relatively rare species. Usually a secondary mineral found within near surface oxidation deposits, the largest known crystals - those from Franklin, New Jersey, USA - are primary in origin. Although big, these tend to be quite dull-looking, whilst some of the finest balanced, well-crystallized and yet showy specimens, are those formerly found at Tsumeb mine in Namibia. This large miniature-sized Willemite is from Tsumeb mine and displays its excellent qualities: small (typically 2 to 3 mm in length), well-defined short trigonal prisms aggregated in rich botryoidal crusts presenting a distinctive 'wet' resinous, to glassy lustre and translucent pale blue-grey to cream colour. A really fine example of this unique style of Willemite.