Mineral · Calcite group
Smithsonite
ZnCO3
Smithsonite is zinc carbonate, prized as botryoidal crusts in apple green, blue-green, pink (cobaltoan) and yellow from the Kelly Mine (New Mexico), Tsumeb (Namibia), Sardinia and Mexico. The Kelly Mine blue-green smithsonite is the classic American specimen. Heavy for its size, with a silky lustre, it is easy to tell from hemimorphite by its lack of crystal blades.
| Formula | ZnCO3 |
|---|---|
| IMA status | grandfathered |
| Crystal system | Trigonal |
| Mohs hardness | 4–4.5 |
| Group | Calcite group |
| Type locality | None (named 1832) |
| Streak | White |
| Specific gravity | 4.4 |
| Reference list | IMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list |
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Smithsonite" (Mineral). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19. https://stratum.black/study/minerals/smithsonite. Accessed 2026-09-20.
@misc{stratum-smithsonite,
title = {Smithsonite},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/minerals/smithsonite}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.