Tsumeb Mine

The one and only Tsumeb mine, one of if not the most famous localities in mineral collecting. The site exploits a Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag-Ge-Cd ore body.

Tsumeb mine produces some world class mineral specimens, and I’d like to bring attention to fine specimens of adamite, azurite, beudantite, cerussite, dioptase, mimetite, olivenite, smithsonite and wulfenite I’ve seen from this site – but honestly, most common copper ore minerals are represented well here, and a great number of zinc and lead ones are too.

Mindat lists 350 mineral species from the mine, including a whopping 76 for which it is the type locality! I’m… I’m not listing them here. See the mindat link for more.

Further reading

• https://www.mindat.org/loc-2428.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsumeb
• https://iugs-geoheritage.org/geoheritage_sites/tsumeb-ore-deposit/
• https://tmn.fas.harvard.edu/database/?page=1&Classification=Minerals

We do have some more information, and sometimes specimens from specific Namibian locales.

Namibian locales

• Aris Quarries, Aris, Windhoek Rural, Khomas Region, Namibia
• Berg Aukas Mine, Grootfontein Constituency, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
• Goanikontes Claim, Goanikontes, Arandis Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia
• Mile 72, Cape Cross area, Arandis Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia
• Molopo Mine, Strathmore pegmatites, Cape Cross area, Arandis Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia
• Okenwasi Mine, Kaokoveld Plateau, Kunene Region, Namibia
• Okorusu Mine, Otjiwarongo Constituency, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
• Orange River area, Namibia
• Otuani pit, Opuwo Rural, Kunene Region, Namibia
• Sandamap Farm, Dâures Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia
• Sodalite mine, Orotumba, Swartbooisdrif Dikes, Epupa, Kunene Region, Namibia
• Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region, Namibia
• Van der Plas Mine, Opuwo Rural, Kunene Region, Namibia

We may have some other specimens from Namibia, check the links below.

Namibia