Chalcophanite with Smithsonite

Chalcophanite with Smithsonite from the Kintore open cut, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, measuring 119 × 78 × 45 mm and weighing 493 grams.

Chalcophanite is a zinc manganese oxide, a genuinely uncommon secondary mineral that forms where manganese-bearing groundwater moves through a zinc-rich oxidised zone, and its appearance alongside the more frequently seen Smithsonite on this piece reflects the particular chemistry of the fluids reaching this part of the Kintore open cut. Broken Hill's oxidised zone is well documented for producing a wide range of secondary zinc minerals, but Chalcophanite itself is one of the less commonly reported species from the field, making a confirmed example like this one of genuine mineralogical interest.

This piece comes from the David Vince Collection. An uncommon species like Chalcophanite, documented alongside the more familiar Smithsonite from the same open cut, is a useful piece for anyone wanting to go beyond Broken Hill's best-known secondary minerals.