galena (w. quartz and smithsonite)

Galena crystals (to 9 mm), predominantly octahedral, with grey rhombohedral smithsonite, quartz, minor calcite and a single tabular crystal of colourless wulfenite, in a vug in partly oxidised sulphide ore.

The galena crystals have an etched appearance with fine striations typical of idiomorphic galena at Tsumeb and possibly related to stress-induced twinning (Ramdohr 1980).

The specimen was acquired from Australian dealer Cyril Kovac in 1997 and was formerly in the collection of Brian Shelton. The location in the mine is not recorded.

calcite; quartz; smithsonite; wulfenite