Hemimorphite

A zinc silicate forming sky-blue bubbly crusts or white bladed crystals.

Hemimorphite specimen — Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify hemimorphite

Pale sky-blue botryoidal crusts, or fans of colorless blades.
Crystals have different shapes at each end.
Does not fizz in acid.

Often confused with

Smithsonite
Smithsonite is heavier and fizzes in warm acid.
Compare side by side
Chrysocolla
Chrysocolla is softer and greener.
Compare side by side

Where it's found

Yunnan, China
Chihuahua, Mexico
Belgium

Uses

Zinc ore and collector specimens.

Rock tumbling

Not suitable for tumbling.

Did you know?

'Hemimorphic' means each end of the crystal has a different form.

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