Image Credit: Malcolm Southwood
Image Credit: Malcolm Southwood
Specimen Title
smithsonite
Associated Minerals
(not assigned)
Principal Mineral
Size
Cabinet; 116mm
Provenance
Latz, C.V.
Collection
Geoscience Australia; R28192
Entry Number
Specimen; TSNB517
Description
A jumble of intergrown and modified rhombs of smithsonite (to 19 mm), pale yellow to buff in colour, on a corroded and cavernous sulphide matrix.
The specimen is from the collection of Clement Victor Latz which was donated to the Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources (now Geoscience Australia) in 1976.
The specimen has been analysed by EMPA-WDS and LA-ICP-MS as part of a study of the causes of colour in smithsonite (Weall 2023; Southwood et al. 2025). Analytical data is presented in Exhibit 2. Southwood et al. (2025) hypothesised that the very pale yellow colour of this specimen is due to partial oxidation of ferrous iron in solid solution in the smithsonite. The Fe content is 13355 ppm. There is no evidence of inclusions. A moderate amount of Cd (3310 ppm) is present, but the low S content (84 ppm) implies that most if not all of the Cd is in solid solution in the carbonate.
