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Smithsonite

A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
This page kindly sponsored by Mariusz Oleszczuk
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About SmithsoniteHide

02412970014946253384634.jpg
James Smithson
Formula:
ZnCO3
Colour:
White, grey, yellow, green to apple-green, blue, pink, purple, bluish grey, and brown; colourless or faintly tinted in transmitted light.
Lustre:
Vitreous, Pearly
Hardness:
4 - 4½
Specific Gravity:
4.42 - 4.44
Crystal System:
Trigonal
Member of:
Name:
Lapis calaminaris was a name used by Agricola in 1546. In 1747, Johan Gottschalk Wallerius (Vallerius) used the simplified form calamine for the zinc carbonate. In 1780, Torbern Bergmann analyzed calamines and found they were mixed ores of zinc carbonates and silicates. In 1803, James Smithson made a systematic investigation of calamines and showed that ores identified as calamine consisted of several different minerals: a carbonate and a silicate. The carbonate "calamine" was re-named smithsonite in 1832 by François Sulpice Beudant in honor of James Smithson [1754-1829], British chemist, mineralogist, and benefactor of the Smithsonian Institution (Washington, DC, USA).
Calcite Group. Siderite-Smithsonite Series.

Smithsonite is often found as a secondary mineral in the oxidation zone of zinc ore deposits. It can also be observed in sedimentary deposits and as a direct oxidation product of sphalerite.




Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:
3688
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3688:3
GUID
(UUID V4):
51ffb97f-a58a-4ca3-bd3f-5a40d7359f5d

IMA Classification of SmithsoniteHide

Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
Zn(CO3)

Classification of SmithsoniteHide

5.AB.05

5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
A : Carbonates without additional anions, without H2O
B : Alkali-earth (and other M2+) carbonates
14.1.1.6

14 : ANHYDROUS NORMAL CARBONATES
1 : A(XO3)
11.6.1

11 : Carbonates
6 : Carbonates of Zn and Cd

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

SymbolSourceReference
SmtIMA–CNMNCWarr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Pronunciation of SmithsoniteHide

Pronunciation:
PlayRecorded byCountry
Jolyon RalphUnited Kingdom

Physical Properties of SmithsoniteHide

Vitreous, Pearly
Transparency:
Translucent
Colour:
White, grey, yellow, green to apple-green, blue, pink, purple, bluish grey, and brown; colourless or faintly tinted in transmitted light.
Comment:
Trace elements can be the direct cause of colour. Iron and manganese are enriched in orange-yellow smithsonites. The Cd2+ ion itself is not the cause of colour; only the presence of greenockite inclusions is related to “turkey fat” yellow in smithsonite. Manganese substitution of zinc is limited and changes the colour of smithsonite to pink. Only blue and cyan (blue-green) smithsonite samples contain weak Raman peaks at around 1200 cm−1 and Cu2+ concentrations higher than the detection limit of the test. The blue and cyan (blue-green) colours are both due to the (CO3)− radicals, nano-sized inclusions formed by Cu2+ ions, and aurichalcite inclusions (or aurichalcite–hemimorphite layers). As for the cyan smithsonite, the aurichalcite–hemimorphite layers are the major factor affecting colour. Ding et al (2023)
Streak:
White
Hardness:
4 - 4½ on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Very Good
On {1011}.
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven, Sub-Conchoidal
Translation gliding:
Translation gliding with T{0001}, t{1010}.
Density:
4.42 - 4.44 g/cm3 (Measured)    4.43 g/cm3 (Calculated)

Optical Data of SmithsoniteHide

Type:
Uniaxial (-)
RI values:
nω = 1.842 - 1.850 nε = 1.619 - 1.623
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.223 - 0.227
Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
High

Chemistry of SmithsoniteHide

Mindat Formula:
ZnCO3
CAS Registry number:
3486-35-9

CAS Registry numbers are published by the American Chemical Society
Common Impurities:
Fe,Co,Cu,Mn,Ca,Cd,Mg,In

Chemical AnalysisHide

Crystallography of SmithsoniteHide

Crystal System:
Trigonal
Class (H-M):
3m (3 2/m) - Hexagonal Scalenohedral
Space Group:
R3c
Cell Parameters:
a = 4.6526(7) Å, c = 15.0257(22) Å
Ratio:
a:c = 1 : 3.23
Unit Cell V:
281.68 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Morphology:
Crystals rhombohedral {1011}; less commonly {0221}. Crystal faces usually curved and rough or composite; rarely scalenohedral. Botryoidal, reniform, or stalactic; incrustations; coarsely granular to compact massive; earthy, friable.
Twinning:
None observed.
Comment:
Cell parameters are similar to those of magnesite.

Crystallographic forms of SmithsoniteHide

Crystal Atlas:
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Smithsonite no.1 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Smithsonite no.13 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
3d models and HTML5 code kindly provided by www.smorf.nl.

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Crystal StructureHide

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IDSpeciesReferenceLinkYearLocalityPressure (GPa)Temp (K)
0000102SmithsoniteGraf D L (1961) Crystallographic tables for the rhombohedral carbonates American Mineralogist 46 1283-131619610293
0020833SmithsoniteEffenberger H, Mereiter K, Zemann J (1981) Crystal structure refinements of magnesite, calcite, rhodochrosite, siderite, smithsonite, and dolomite, with discussion of some aspects of the stereochemistry of calcite type carbonates Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 156 233-2431981Tsumeb, Namibia0293
CIF Raw Data - click here to close

Epitaxial Relationships of SmithsoniteHide

Epitaxial Minerals:
Epitaxy Comments:
Smithsonite upon calcite with parallel axes. Oriented pseudomorphs of ZnO are formed by thermal dissociation. Otavite oriented growths on Smithsonite (Tsumeb).

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
d-spacingIntensity
2.750 Å(100)
3.55 Å(49)
1.703 Å(44)
1.946 Å(26)
2.327 Å(25)
2.110 Å(18)
1.515 Å(13)
1.493 Å(14)
Comments:
Kabwe mine (Broken Hill mine), Zambia. Data are from Swanson et al. (1958).

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):
Paragenetic ModeEarliest Age (Ga)
Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event<2.4
47c : [Carbonates, phosphates, borates, nitrates]
Geological Setting:
Oxidised zones of zinc ore deposits.

Synonyms of SmithsoniteHide

Other Language Names for SmithsoniteHide

Varieties of SmithsoniteHide

Cobalt-bearing SmithsoniteA name for pink smithsonite previously believed to be a Co-bearing variety of Smithsonite.

Originally described from Santa Rosalía (El Boleó), Boleó District, Mun. de Mulegé, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Bob Meyer and other researchers noted that mo...
Dry Bone OreA variety of massive or botryoidal smithsonite with a dull, dry, porous appearance.
HerreriteA Cu-bearing variety of smithsonite (CuCO3 ca. 3%).
Originally reported from León Mine, León Group, San Pedro Corralitos, Mun. de Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico.
MonheimiteA ferroan (iron-bearing) variety of smithsonite. Fe" substitutes for Zn up to at least Fe:Zn = 1:1.59.
Turkey-Fat OreAn old name for a botryoidal variety of smithsonite usually coloured bright yellow by included cadmium sulfide. The Cd content may not be necessary for the material at hand to be termed "Turkey-Fat Ore."

Relationship of Smithsonite to other SpeciesHide

Member of:
Other Members of this group:
CalciteCaCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
GaspéiteNiCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
MagnesiteMgCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
OtaviteCdCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
RhodochrositeMnCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
SideriteFeCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
SpherocobaltiteCoCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
Forms a series with:

Common AssociatesHide

Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
527 photos of Smithsonite associated with CalciteCaCO3
458 photos of Smithsonite associated with CerussitePbCO3
429 photos of Smithsonite associated with HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
378 photos of Smithsonite associated with Aurichalcite(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
315 photos of Smithsonite associated with Rosasite(Cu,Zn)2(CO3)(OH)2
283 photos of Smithsonite associated with FluoriteCaF2
276 photos of Smithsonite associated with QuartzSiO2
238 photos of Smithsonite associated with MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
211 photos of Smithsonite associated with GalenaPbS
200 photos of Smithsonite associated with MimetitePb5(AsO4)3Cl

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

5.AB.05CalciteCaCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
5.AB.05GaspéiteNiCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
5.AB.05MagnesiteMgCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
5.AB.05OtaviteCdCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
5.AB.05RhodochrositeMnCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
5.AB.05SideriteFeCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
5.AB.05SpherocobaltiteCoCO3Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c
5.AB.05 vaParakutnohorite
5.AB.10AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2Trig. 3 : R3
5.AB.10DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2Trig. 3 : R3
5.AB.10KutnohoriteCaMn2+(CO3)2Trig. 3 : R3
5.AB.10MinrecorditeCaZn(CO3)2Trig. 3 : R3
5.AB.10ŠkáchaiteCaCo(CO3)2Trig. 3 : R3
5.AB.15AragoniteCaCO3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
5.AB.15CerussitePbCO3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
5.AB.15StrontianiteSrCO3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
5.AB.15WitheriteBaCO3Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m)
5.AB.20VateriteCaCO3Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P63/mmc
5.AB.25HuntiteCaMg3(CO3)4Trig. 3 2 : R3 2
5.AB.30NorsethiteBaMg(CO3)2Trig. 3 2 : R3 2
5.AB.35AlstoniteBaCa(CO3)2Tric.
5.AB.40OlekminskiteSr(Sr,Ca,Ba)(CO3)2Trig. 3 2 : P3 2 1
5.AB.40ParalstoniteBaCa(CO3)2Trig. 3 2 : P3 2 1
5.AB.45BarytocalciteBaCa(CO3)2Mon. 2/m : P21/m
5.AB.50Carbocernaite(Ca,Na)(Sr,Ce,Ba)(CO3)2Orth. mm2
5.AB.55BenstoniteBa6Ca6Mg(CO3)13Trig. 3 : R3
5.AB.60JuangodoyiteNa2Cu(CO3)2Mon. 2/m : P21/b

Fluorescence of SmithsoniteHide

May fluoresce pale green or pale blue.

Other InformationHide

Notes:
Soluble in acids with effervescence.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses:
Ore of zinc.

Smithsonite in petrologyHide

An essential component of rock names highlighted in red, an accessory component in rock names highlighted in green.

Internet Links for SmithsoniteHide

References for SmithsoniteHide

Reference List:
(1925) Notes and News. American Mineralogist, 10 (1) 18-19 (Headden, W.P.; Smithsonite; Kelley Mine, Magdalena Mtns, New Mexico)

Localities for SmithsoniteHide

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the symbol to view information about a locality. The symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

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