Smithsonite

ZnCO3 - Mohs Hardness: 4 - 5.  Smithsonite is named for James Smithson, the founder of the Smithsonian Institution. The luster of smithsonite sets it apart from other minerals: it has a silky to pearly luster giving natural specimens a certain play of light across its surface that resembles the fine luster of melted wax glowing under a candle flame.
Abstract/Description: ZnCO3 - Mohs Hardness: 4 - 5. Smithsonite is named for James Smithson, the founder of the Smithsonian Institution. The luster of smithsonite sets it apart from other minerals: it has a silky to pearly luster giving natural specimens a certain play of light across its surface that resembles the fine luster of melted wax glowing under a candle flame.
Subject(s): Durango, Mexico
environmental sciences