Smithsonite, also known as Zinc Spar, is a zinc carbonate mineral that is most commonly found in botryoidal, masses sometimes with a druzy surface , and stalactites. It's very rare to find this mineral in its crystallized form, which is rhombohedral shaped. Smithsonite can be found in a variety of colors such as yellow, brown, purple, white, green, grey, and most notably, its Turquoise -blue shade.
This mineral was commonly mistaken for Hemimorphite , or Calamine, until when F. Beaudant differentiated it. He named the mineral after the English mineralogist James Smithson, who first identified the crystal in This is the same James Smithson who was the founding donor of the Smithsonian Institution. Cadmium gives smithsonite a yellow color, and this form of the stone is known as cadmium smithsonite.
In the best-known mix, copper makes the smithsonite stone appear green or blue. The most sought after color of smithsonite is purple to lavender.
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Select a gold color:. Colorless smithsonite is found in Namibia, Zambia. Blue green smithsonite is found in the United States, Spain and Greece. Yellow varieties of the stone are also found in the United States as well as in Sardinia.
There are many beliefs as to the emotional attributes of smithsonite. Such beliefs are actually specific to each color of smithsonite. Blue shades of the stone are said to help open one up to repressed emotions, in order to clear and heal these painful feelings of grief, rage, anger, resentment, sadness, sorrow, and heartache.
These blue stones supposedly have the power to heal the fear of ones own emotions, and refill the aura with peace, healing, and security. As a secondary mineral formed from the alteration of primary zinc minerals in the oxidation zone.
Rock Type. Popularity Prevalence Demand Calamine was the original name of the mineral Hemimorphite , and described this zinc ore in globular and botryoidal forms. The mineral Smithsonite , which closely resembles Hemimorphite and is also a zinc ore, was also called Calamine by the miners and early collectors.
Today use of this term has been discouraged because of its confusion of mineral species. Bonamite - Blue or green globular Smithsonite with a pearly luster. Cadmium Smithsonite - Yellow or yellow-green Smithsonite colored by cadmium impurities. Copper Smithsonite - Blue to green Smithsonite colored by copper impurities. Dry Bone Ore - Describes the massive , porous , and dull variety of Smithsonite , which often assumes a honeycomb shape.
Turkey Fat Ore - Describes globular , botryoidal , and stalactitic forms of yellow Smithsonite. Smithsonite is an ore of zinc. It is sometimes polished and used as an ornamental stone, which is known as Bonamite in the gem trade. It is a minor gemstone. Large Smithsonite crusts are found in a number of areas on the island of Sardinia, Italy, particularly at the Massua and Monteponi Mines, in Iglesias.
Blue-green botryoidal masses and crusts are common at the mines at Lavrion, Greece. Hemimorphite - Lighter in weight 2. Chrysocolla - Softer, usually has a deeper color. Otherwise difficult to distinguish. Have a question about Smithsonite? Typical smithsonite colors are brown, gray, white, green, and yellow.
Translucent specimens in vibrant blue, green, pink, and yellow colors are favorites of mineral collectors. Smithsonite is also cut into collector gems and used as an ornamental stone. Smithsonite Crystals: Smithsonite is almost never seen as well-formed crystals. This specimen, from Namibia, is a piece of country rock covered with a druse of grayish green crystals. Dry-Bone Ore: An impure and friable variety of smithsonite with a honeycomb-like structure is known as dry-bone ore.
It is a secondary mineral found where zinc deposits have been oxidized. Smithsonite is a secondary mineral found in the rocks above and around many important zinc deposits. These smithsonite occurrences are often seen at the surface or at shallow depths. As a result, smithsonite was one of the earliest zinc minerals to be discovered and mined by pioneer metallurgists. Finding smithsonite at the surface has led to the discovery of a major zinc deposit below.
Much smithsonite originates when weathering liberates zinc from a deposit's primary mineral - which is often sphalerite. Zinc ore oxidized in the presence of carbon dioxide can result in the formation of smithsonite. This smithsonite is a secondary mineral often found as fracture fillings and botryoidal coatings on country rock.
Smithsonite, formed from redeposited zinc, is an excellent example of a secondary mineral. Smithsonite is almost never found as nice crystals. Botryoidal coatings on rocks and fractures are a common mode of occurrence.
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