Smithsonite

A must for the Smithsonite collector, or collector of classic British minerals for that matter.  A large and dense top-polished bed of yellow Smithsonite from the little known Farnberry mine on Alston Moor in east Cumbria.  Here a crosscut level intersects the Farnberry Old Vein which produced five mineral species.  The Smithsonite is up to 2 cm thick covering a plate of hard and dense dark tan matrix, itself pervaded with drusy botryoidal Smithsonite lining small vugs within the specimen.  The surface has been beautifully polished and displays a good and even buttercup pale lemon yellow colour.  Specimens from this locality are not often seen and especially in this size, making this a classic North of England Smithsonite.