Mineral Species
Litharge
Type Locality
No
Composition
PbO
Crystal System
Tetragonal
Status at Tsumeb
Questionable
Entry Number
Species; TSNB216
General Notes
Litharge as crusts, or sparse dustings of blood-red microcrystals were reported from the so-called "Lead Pocket" on 43 Level, discovered in 1991 (Gebhard 1999). The litharge occurs on hydrocerussite, which was coating and partly replacing cerussite crystals. According to Gebhard (1999) two other lead oxides, massicot and minium, are also associated and with similar modes of occurrence.
Litharge is easily confused with minium. It is notable that litharge is not included in the list of Tsumeb minerals on Mindat (www.mindat.org; accessed February 2023).
Questionable status is retained for litharge at Tsumeb, pending analytical verification.
Associated Minerals
cerussite (?); hydrocerussite (?); massicot (?); minium (?); scotlandite (?)
