Mineralpedia Details for Smithsonite

Named after James Lewis Macie Smithson, a British chemist and mineralogist who helped found the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., USA and who also was able to distinguish Smithsonite from hemimorphite. Smithonsite forms as a secondary mineral in oxidized zones of zinc-rich deposits and can also be found replacing carbonate rocks in areas adjacent to the zinc-bearing deposits. There are over one thousand localities for Smithsonite. Smithsonite may fluoresce a pale green or blue under ultraviolet light.

Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/smithsonite.pdf

Formula

ZnCO₃ 

Crystal System

Trigonal 

Crystal Habit

Botryoidal, Reniform, Earthy 

Cleavage

Perfect, Perfect, Perfect 

Luster

Vitreous (Glassy) 

Color

grayish white, dark gray, green, blue, yellow 

Streak

white 

Class

Trigonal - Hexagonal Scalenohedral 

Fracture

Brittle 

Hardness

4.5 

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Well crystallized rhombic crystals to 9mm lining a large open vug of Galena.

Brownish Smithsonite such as this is said to be cadmium rich.

Rich pink rhombic crystals to 7mm on front and back sides of this gorgeous cobaltoan Smithsonite specimen so unique to Tsumeb.

The brown Smithsonite has rhombs to is about 1cm. As you can see, all the crystals have darker brown edges than the middle portions of the crystals.

Light green, translucent botryoidal crystals to 7mm.

Special Info

Phillips Collection

Light foam green botryoidal crystals with good shimmering luster.

Green botyroidal crystals.

Special Info

Phillips Collection

Translucent pinkish, bulbous Smithsonite crystals composing the entire specimen.

Translucent white rice-like or bulbous Smithsonite crystals to 2mm on a piece of vuggy matrix that is composed of Coronadite that has a botryoidal habit.

Smithsonite, variety monheimite with rice-shaped crystals to 2mm.

Translucent green bulbous crystals of Smithsonite to 2mm with felty green Malachite, and blue Azurite covering a piece of spongy matrix.

Rich, deep, botryoidal Smithsonite, probably cadmium rich. Excellent specimen from a very hard to obtain locality.

A good, clean specimen of colorless or white, botryoidal Smithsonite wth excellent luster.

Light grey Smithsonite.

Interesting "bulbous" Smithsonite in little 1mm crystals which not only resemble lightbulbs but seem to transmit light at the bulb.

Colorless bulbous Smithsonite groups to 4mm. 

Colorless 1-3mm rice-shaped or bulbous crystals on manganese oxide matrix. 

Pink botryoidal Smithsonite.

A stunning bright orange Smithsonite specimen with 1mm single crystals covering the matrix and replacing former saddle-shapped Dolomite crystals. Both sides are covered with Smithsonite. 

Deep yellowish brown, pronounced, rhombic crystals to 1.3cm. This is an excellent, clean, damage free, showy specimen with an old Prosper Williams label.

Blue botryoidal Smithsonite. Acquired by Hampson in 1945.

Bluish to silvery and lustrous balls of Smithsonite.

Small, less than 1mm, white to colorless crystals of Smithsonite on spongy limonitic matrix. The Smithsonite crystals are rhombic with bulbous overgrowths.