Hemimorphite

Appearance

Hemimorphite occurs in a fair range of shapes and forms. It is commonly found in Zinc and Lead mines.

Uses and History

Hemimorphite is used as an ore of Zinc – however, it is also popular with mineral collectors. It is rarely faceted for collectors, these stones are not suitable for jewellery making really.

Until the late 1800s, both Hemimorphite and Smithsonite were considered the same mineral, and referred to as ‘calamine’.

Hemimorphite occurs in a fair range of shapes and forms. It is commonly found in Zinc and Lead mines.

Mineralogy

Hazards and Warnings

Contains Zinc, which could be an ingestion risk if powdered.

Almost all rocks, minerals (and, frankly, almost all other substances on earth) can produce toxic dust when cutting, which can cause serious respiratory conditions including silicosis. When cutting or polishing rocks, minerals, shells, etc, all work should be done wet to minimise the dust, and a suitable respirator or extraction system should be used.

Locales

Translations

Further Reading / External Links

• https://www.gemsociety.org/article/hemimorphite-jewelry-and-gemstone-information/
• https://www.mindat.org/min-1860.html
• https://geology.com/minerals/hemimorphite.shtml