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Smithsonite from the Rhodesia Broken Hill mines

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

E. D. Mountain*
Affiliation:
British Museum (Natural History)

Extract

During an examination of zinc ores I had occasion recently to employ methods for the identification of smithsonite, and was surprised to find how scanty and indefinite are the data of its physical properties as stated in text-books. Most of the smithsonite known occurs either compact or as very small crystals many of which are of a composite nature. In this connexion Dr. L. J. Spencer recently acquired for the British Museum some very fine crystals from the Rhodesia Broken Hill mines, and he suggested that this material would be suitable for a detailed examination. These consist of two specimens obtained in 1921 from Mr. W. E. Harris [B.M. 1921, 769] and in 1923 from Dr. O. L. Brady [B.M. 1923, 619] respectively, and are portions of the same mass. Smithsonite crystals were first described from this locality by Dr. Spencer in 1908, but these crystals were minute and showed only the forms v (201̄) and s (223̄).

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1926

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References

page 51 note 1 Spencer, L. J., Min. Mag., 1908, vol. 15, p. 35.Google Scholar

page 53 note 1 Ortloff, W., Zeks. physik. Chem., 1896, vol. 19, p. 216 Google Scholar.

page 54 note 1 Gaubert, P., Bull. Soc. Franç. Min., 1919. vol. 42, p. 99 Google Scholar.

page 54 note 2 Gaubert, P., Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris, 1917, vol. 164, p. 47.Google Scholar