Image Credit: Malcolm Southwood
Image Credit: Malcolm Southwood
Specimen Title
Smithsonite
Associated Minerals
calcite; goethite
Principal Mineral
Size
Cabinet; mmmm
Location in the Mine
Undetermined
Provenance
Latz, C.V.
Collection
Geoscience Australia; R28838
Entry Number
Specimen; TSNB789
Associated Minerals
calcite; goethite
Description
Botyroidal aggregates (to 12 mm) of tightly intergrown, sea-green rhombohedral smithsonite crystals with minor dolostone matrix on which accessory calcite and goethite are present.
The specimen is from the collection of Clement Victor Latz (# 353) 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). They hypothesised that the principal chromophore is Cu (15077 ppm) which is almost certainly in solid solution in the smithsonite lattice. Analytical data is presented in Exhibit 2.
