Description
The mineral smithsonite (or zinc spar) is a zinc carbonate with the chemical formula ZnCO3. It is also known as calamine and calamine. The French name for the town of Kelmis, La Calamine, refers to the latter. Smithsonite can be white, gray, green, pink, or blue, with a white streak. It has a specific gravity of 4.4 and a hardness of 4.5 on the Mohs Scale of Minerals. Its luster is vitreous to pearly, and the material is transparent to translucent. The common smithsonite, supergenic by oxidation of zinc ores, is associated with other supergenic lead minerals. The main deposits are Broken Hill in New South Wales (Australia), Tsumeb in Namibia, and the Kelly mine at Magdalena in New Mexico (United States). Beautiful aggregates and stalactites have also been found at Monte Poni in Sardinia. In Belgium, smithsonite is found in the area around Kelmis and Moresnet, where it was mined on a large scale.
