Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
trigonaluncommonCarbonates
Smithsonite
ZnCO3
This image displays a beautiful botryoidal (grape-like) aggregate of pink smithsonite, specifically a cobaltoan variety, exhibiting a soft, waxy to vitreous luster.
Smithsonite Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
4Crystal System
trigonalLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
perfect rhombohedral on {1011}Fracture
unevenSpecific Gravity
4.35Colors
pink, blue, green, yellow, brown, gray, white, colorlessTransparency
translucentType Locality
Refugio Mine, Guadalupe de Los Reyes, Municipio de Cosalá, Sinaloa, MexicoMineral Group
CarbonatesUses
collector, gemstone, zinc_oreAssociated Minerals
hemimorphite, cerussite, anglesite, malachite, azurite, calcite, limoniteRarity
uncommonGeological Context
Smithsonite is a secondary mineral that forms in the oxidized zone of zinc-bearing ore deposits, typically as an alteration product of primary zinc sulfides like sphalerite, often in limestone environments.
