White, grey, yellow, green to apple-green, blue, pink, purple, bluish grey, and brown
Crystal habit
Uncommon as crystals, typically botryoidal, reniform, spherulitic; stalactitic, earthy, compact massive
Twinning
None observed
Cleavage
Perfect on [1011]
Fracture
Uneven, sub-conchoidal
Tenacity
Brittle
Mohs scale hardness
4.5
Luster
Vitreous, may be pearly
Streak
White
Diaphaneity
Translucent
Specific gravity
4.4–4.5
Optical properties
Uniaxial (−)
Refractive index
nω = 1.842 – 1.850 nε = 1.619 – 1.623
Birefringence
δ = 0.223 – 0.227
Ultraviolet fluorescence
May fluoresce pale green or pale blue under UV
References
[2][3][4]
Smithsonite, also known as zinc spar, is the mineral form of zinc carbonate (ZnCO3). Historically, smithsonite was identified with hemimorphite before it was realized that they were two different minerals. The two minerals are very similar in appearance and the term calamine has been used for both, leading to some confusion. The distinct mineral smithsonite was named in 1832 by François Sulpice Beudant in honor of English chemist and mineralogist James Smithson (c. 1765–1829), who first identified the mineral in 1802.[3][5]
Smithsonite is a variably colored trigonal mineral which only rarely is found in well formed crystals. The typical habit is as earthy botryoidal masses. It has a Mohs hardness of 4.5 and a specific gravity of 4.4 to 4.5.
Smithsonite occurs as a secondary mineral in the weathering or oxidation zone of zinc-bearing ore deposits. It sometimes occurs as replacement bodies in carbonate rocks and as such may constitute zinc ore. It commonly occurs in association with hemimorphite, willemite, hydrozincite, cerussite, malachite, azurite, aurichalcite and anglesite. It forms two limited solid solution series, with substitution of manganese leading to rhodochrosite, and with iron, leading to siderite.[4] A variety rich in cadmium, which gives it a bright yellow color, is sometimes called turkey fat ore.[2]
^ abSmithsonite: Smithsonite mineral information and data from Mindat
^ abSmithsonite mineral data from Webmineral
^ abAnthony, John W.; Bideaux, Richard A.; Bladh, Kenneth W.; Nichols, Monte C. (2005). "Smithsonite" (PDF). Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineral Data Publishing. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
^"Smithsonite at the National Museum of Natural History". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
Smithsonite, also known as zinc spar, is the mineral form of zinc carbonate (ZnCO3). Historically, smithsonite was identified with hemimorphite before...
as defining calamine, which would eventually be renamed after him as "smithsonite". He was the founding donor of the Smithsonian Institution, which also...
zinc ores and as post mine incrustations. It occurs associated with smithsonite, hemimorphite, willemite, cerussite, aurichalcite, calcite and limonite...
frequently forming botryoidal masses. It is also a common form of goethite, smithsonite, fluorite, and chrysocolla. Similar habits are reniform (kidney-shaped)...
solid that is insoluble in water. It exists in nature as the mineral smithsonite. It is prepared by treating cold solutions of zinc sulfate with potassium...
occurs in arid environments along with native silver, iodargyrite and smithsonite along with iron and manganese oxide minerals. Mindat page for bromargyrite...
manganese commonly substitute for the iron, resulting in the siderite-smithsonite, siderite-magnesite, and siderite-rhodochrosite solid solution series...
Sphalerite ((Zn,Fe)S) with other sulphide minerals in vein deposits; smithsonite (ZnCO3) in oxidized zone of zinc bearing sulphide deposits Zirconium...
is 5.04. Associated minerals include azurite, calcite, malachite, and smithsonite. It was first described in 1906 from the Tsumeb district near Otavi,...
component of mineral calamine. It is a silicate mineral which, together with smithsonite (ZnCO3), has been historically mined from the upper parts of zinc and...
with zinc oxide or carbonate which comes in the form of calamine or smithsonite. This is heated to about 900 °C, the zinc oxide vaporizes into a gas...
arsenic-bearing hydrothermal mineral deposits. It occurs in association with smithsonite, hemimorphite, scorodite, olivenite, calcite, quartz and iron and manganese...
of copper and zinc deposits. Associated minerals include: rosasite, smithsonite, hemimorphite, hydrozincite, malachite and azurite. It was first described...
limonite, malachite, beudantite, adamite, cuproadamite, olivenite and smithsonite. Conichalcite forms in the oxidation zones of copper orebodies. Here...
differentiated/separated from each other calcite, chalcedony, halite, plumbogummite, smithsonite Globular Isolated hemispheres or spheres calcite, fluorite, gyrolite...
mines zinc oxides, a mixture of non-sulphidic zinc minerals such as smithsonite, hydrozincite, tarbuttite and willemite. Finally, it is the only zinc...
apatite, chalcedony, corundum (ruby and sapphire), scheelite, selenite, smithsonite, sphalerite, sodalite. The first person to observe fluorescence in minerals...
and arsenic minerals, including pyromorphite, cerussite, hemimorphite, smithsonite, vanadinite, anglesite, pyrite, mottramite, willemite, and wulfenite...
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