Smithsonite var. Cadmium rich (New Find)

Item Description

Gorgeous rich golden-yellow, translucent, bubbly smithsonite botryoids with fine waxy luster in a 1.0-1.2 cm banded crust rest on a thin matrix on this rich and very colorful large specimen from a New Find from an obscure Chinese locale. The orange iron oxide stringers really add color and pizzazz to this piece. The yellow color is thought to be due to cadmiun content, as with yellow smithsonite from Tsumeb, Italy, and Mexico. The yellow smithsonite GLOWS, when back lit. An exeptional example from Yunnan Province that is nearly pristine, with only a modest bit of periphery wear along one edge. These are VERY similar to Italian smithsonites, from the 1800s, that cost an arm and a leg! And, those are super rare on the market. This new find really sets a new standard and gives the rest of us a chance to acquire one in this style at a reasonable price point.