Smithsonite?

[Luann Udell]

I just spent some time drooling over a mineral exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in Cambridge and fell in love with their samples of smithsonite--a beautiful translucent blue-green mineral.

I've googled trying to find out more about it, and found it is sometimes called hemimorphite and (mistakenly) calamine and azurite.  Also zinc spar.

Oddly, it's REALLY hard to find beads made of this stone.  Is that because it's rare?  Super expensive?  Not practical for some reason??  It's such a lovely color, I'm wondering if you guys ever carry it or have seen it in your travels??

[RitaD]

We sometimes have real smithsonite, and sometimes have beads that we think are glass created to look like smithsonite.  If we have any doubt at all, we normally label it as rainbow blue "quartz" (better under hype it than over-hype it).  

We don't have any of it currently stock numbered, but often have stock at the road shows under this name.  

We also sometimes have hemimorphite that we believe to be the real thing.

[Luann Udell]

Rainbow blue quartz--that's new to me!  
Thanks for the info, Rita, and if there's an e-mail list for smithsonite/hemimorphite alerts, put me on it!  :^)

[Polly]

Hi Luann, I will watch for Smithsonite beads (and even the lookalikes).  

Another stone that's in the cool blue-green family -- albeit with the aid of heat and color enhancement -- is this pretty Dyed "Apatite" New Jade from the c&c stock in our showroom.  New Jade is a pale green semi-translucent type of serpentine, and Apatite is a calcium phosphate that is often green or blue. (Jade entry and Apatite entry from our Gemstone Index) This bright teal version of new jade has been "crackled" and color-enhanced.  It's no longer a natural stone, but it's pretty enough that I bought some anyhow.  It seems durable and color-safe as well.  I carried a strand in my coat pocket for a few (snowy) days, and no color came off.
I'll have a picture of a few shapes to post within 24 hours.
If I really get my act together, I'll make something with my strand, and post that as well.

[Polly]

These Dyed "Apatite" New Jade beads are shown approx. 50% actual size.
Pretty colors and patterning, unknown but durable treatment.

[Russ Nobbs]

I think what we have that looks like smithsonite is called multi blue "quartz" and it is glass in our best guess.  I'm not sure about labeling it rainbow but so many things pass through our hands it's hard to remember.

Karin and I don't think we've ever had real smithsonite offered to us.
A few years back maybe sellers said it was smithsonite, but we don't think it was. I'm not sure if we have any in house right now but Kim might have some packed away in road stock.

this zinc carbonate may be too fragile for beads? or too rare to make it worth stabilizing? I really don't know about that.

It's named after James Smithson, the guy whose estate funded the  start of the Smithsonian institutions.

[Luann Udell]

Thanks, Russ and Polly, that information is helpful.  Polly, those ARE pretty beads!  I can just see you running around in the snow with beads in your pocket, claiming to be doing "product testing"...!!     I'll try some with my next order.

I found some 8mm rounds of smithsonite, hemimorphite here:  AllTribes--smithsonite beads

The color is actually much more green than my monitor shows--bust a lovely, soft blued green color--more sea green than blue, that is--and it looks "rock-ish", milky-translucent with inclusions.  Doesn't mean it couldn't be dyed, of course, but it is similar to the color of the minerals I saw at the museum.

I found more at another site, but haven't received them yet.  

It's a beautiful mineral, I hope we see more of it someday!

[Russ Nobbs]

We may have some hemimorphite in road stock.
www.earthstone.com has a page full of shapes it hemimorphite. but isn't it a different mineral than smithsonite? I'll have to look them both up again.

[Luann Udell]

How did I overlook Earthstone??  OMG!
Thanks for the pointer, Russ, and if you find any in "road stock" (such a nicer word than "road kill"), let me know!  :^)

[Polly]

claiming ??  '>  ??
claiming to be doing "product testing"...!!  
sheesh, I don't get no respect!

ok, well, in all honesty, I did simply forget to take them out of my coat pocket.  But I think that the snow-melt that was in my pocket with them was valid (albeit accidental) colorfastness testing, and the car keys that went into the pocket as well was a valid fragility test.
I still haven't made anything with them yet.

These carved "jade" beetle beads are my other favorite new bead, but I haven't actually bought myself any yet.   They are HUGE, and they make a nifty bell-like sound.

[Luann Udell]

update:  sor far the smithsonite & hemimorphite Ive received is more green than blue green--more like aventurine than amazonite.
excuse typing, broken finger!
luann
polly, i like to say i am "testing web shopping carts" rather than buying huge quantities of beads online...

[Luann Udell]

wow those beetle bead R nice    
the carving lloks like very old shang dynasty bronze patterns
i think they are cicadas (the bettles)

[marym]

QUOTE

i like to say i am "testing web shopping carts" rather than buying huge quantities of beads online..

'>
 

I love the big bug rocks- but have not a clue what to do with them. The side view reminds me of an old fashioned clothes pin.

[Polly]

owie, broken finger!  I'm sorry to hear that Luann.  I hope it heals fast and well.  
Hmmm, testing shopping carts... I like it!

I agree, I believe the beetles are cicadas.

[deerwoman]

AHA  what will they think of next?  Have you noticed how every year there are more new dyed stones resembling others?  And all those marbles and dolomites resembling jaspers?  Not to mention Crazy Horse Stone.

But I certainly was surprised to see this in Polly's post:  Dyed "Apatite" New Jade beads

Looks like an apatite color, that blue that I love, but the beads really remind me much more of turquoise than apatite.  I think of apatite as being translucent or clear.  

But I'm tempted to buy some just for the heck of it.