History · Geology
About Tsumeb Mine
Tsumeb in northern Namibia is the most prolific source of unusual collector-mineral species on Earth, with over 240 different species recorded. The deposit is a unique steeply pipe-shaped Cu-Pb-Zn-As-Ge-Ga ore body in Neoproterozoic dolomite.
Geology
The pipe was emplaced as a hydrothermal Cu-Pb-Zn sulfide-arsenide system that experienced multiple stages of supergene oxidation, producing an extraordinarily diverse suite of secondary minerals at multiple levels.
Notable Minerals
Dioptase (electric-green prismatic crystals, world’s best), azurite (deep-blue blocky crystals), cerussite (twinned reticulated specimens), smithsonite (botryoidal in many colors), mimetite, wulfenite, adamite (cuprian purple variety), leadhillite, linarite, libethenite, tennantite, anglesite. Type locality for many rare As-Sb-Pb species.
Collector Notes
Tsumeb is the most-collected non-American locality in the world. Closed in the 1990s but specimens continue to circulate at top-tier prices. Old “old-stock” pieces command premium provenance value.
Minerals Produced Here
- Adamite (橄榄铜砷石)
- Anglesite (硫酸铅矿)
- Atacamite (氯铜矿)
- Aurichalcite (绿铜锌矿)
- Azurite (蓝铜矿)
- Brochantite (水胆矾)
- Cerussite (白铅矿)
- Descloizite (钒铅锌矿)
- Dioptase (透视石)
- Leadhillite (白铅矿)
- Libethenite (橄榄铜矿)
- Linarite (蓝铅矿)
- Malachite (孔雀石)
- Mimetite (砷铅矿)
- Mottramite (钒铜铅矿)
- Olivenite (橄榄铜矿)
- Rosasite (蓝绿铜锌矿)
- Smithsonite (菱锌矿)
- Willemite (硅锌矿)
- Wulfenite (钼铅矿)
