Smithsonite var. Cadmian

Item Description

A nice, showy cluster of Cadmian Smithsonite crystals that are vertically climbing upon a spire of dark sulfide matrix. The lustrous, yellow-orange Cadmian Smithsonite crystals are nearly one centimeter in size and stacked one upon the other and the color is darker on the front side and slightly paler on the back side. This Cadmian Smithsonite has great composition. Smithsonite was found continuously during mining activities at Tsumeb from its beginning to the end of mine life, but the yellow (cadmium rich) variety was very rare and said to be found in only a few pockets of the 1970s. This is 100 times more rare than a comparably sized pink smithsonite from Tsumeb and in fact Tsumeb is the only locality in the world that produces such important crysatllized yellow smithsonite like this. Valued $1500-2000