Smithsonite

This specimen is Smithsonite from Block 14 Open Cut, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, measuring 66 x 53 x 24 mm and weighing 67 g. It is drawn from the David Vince Collection. Smithsonite develops within the oxidised zone of zinc-bearing orebodies as the primary zinc sulphide, Sphalerite, weathers to a secondary carbonate. Its colour and crystal development can vary noticeably within a single working depending on the precise conditions under which a given pocket formed, a variability well documented at Block 14, one of the open cuts within the broader Broken Hill orebody discovered in 1883, which remains renowned among collectors for the diversity of secondary zinc and lead minerals produced across its many workings. At 66 x 53 x 24 mm and 67 g, the specimen is a smaller, thumbnail-to-miniature-scale piece, well suited to a compact display while retaining the confirmed Block 14 locality. The specimen's documented provenance is the David Vince Collection.