Judging quality
Look for a smooth complete botryoidal surface with silky sheen and even color. Kelly Mine blue-green from New Mexico is the American classic.
Carbonate
Smithsonite
Botryoidal zinc carbonate with a distinctive satiny lustre, appearing in gentle blue-green, lavender and pink depending on trace metals.
Care
Reasonably soft and acid-sensitive. Wipe dry; avoid household cleaners.
History & lore
Named for James Smithson, the mineralogist whose bequest founded the Smithsonian Institution.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Smithsonite
- What is Smithsonite?
- Botryoidal zinc carbonate with a distinctive satiny lustre, appearing in gentle blue-green, lavender and pink depending on trace metals.
- How hard is Smithsonite and what is it made of?
- Smithsonite is a Carbonate-family mineral with the composition ZnCO3. It crystallizes in the trigonal system and rates 4-4.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in blue-green, pink, yellow.
- Where does Smithsonite come from?
- Notable localities for Smithsonite include Namibia (Tsumeb), USA (New Mexico, Kelly Mine), Greece, Mexico.
- How do you tell good Smithsonite from filler?
- Look for a smooth complete botryoidal surface with silky sheen and even color. Kelly Mine blue-green from New Mexico is the American classic.
- How do you care for Smithsonite?
- Reasonably soft and acid-sensitive. Wipe dry; avoid household cleaners.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.