The Minerals
The minerals pages of this website provide notes on each of the mineral species recorded at Tsumeb. In general, only species names currently approved by the International Mineralogical Association are included although, where identification of minerals to species level is problematic, group, sub-group or series names have been included. Note that group, sub-group and series names, as well as synonyms and varietal names, are italicised throughout.
Each mineral is described under several headings:
Species name; chemical formula; crystal system: (from Back (2018, 2022) or from the IMA mineral list http://cnmnc.units.it/ )
Status at Tsumeb: (see below for definitions.)
Type mineralogy: (a brief history of the discovery and description with key literature references; only provided for minerals for which Tsumeb is the type locality.)
Abundance, occurrence and distribution: (see below for definitions.)
General notes: (an account of the history and mode of occurrence of the mineral, with notes on the paragenesis and descriptions of important specimens.)
Associated minerals: (an alphabetical listing of associated minerals observed or reported as occurring with the title species.)
Pseudomorphs: (list of (a) species after which the title mineral forms pseudomorphs and (b) species that form pseudomorphs after the title mineral.)
The following definitions have been used:
Status at Tsumeb is one of the following:
Confirmed: The occurrence of the species at Tsumeb is beyond reasonable doubt. The authors have direct observational experience (with appropriate analytical confirmation) and / or the occurrence is sufficiently documented (ideally with published analysis) in the peer-reviewed literature.
Believed valid: The species is adequately documented, ideally in the peer-reviewed literature or, alternatively, from a source believed to be reliable and credible. The means of identification are stated and, ideally, analytical data has been made available for inspection.
Questionable: The mineral has been reported from Tsumeb, perhaps in sources that have not been peer-reviewed. In some case the reports have failed to provide either adequate analytical information or convincing evidence of a Tsumeb origin for the material studied.
Doubtful: Although the occurrence of the mineral has been reported there are reasons to doubt its occurrence at Tsumeb.
Discredited: A mineral previously reported to occur at Tsumeb has now been officially discredited or its presence at Tsumeb has been shown to be a case of mistaken identification.