Tarbuttite, Kabwe Mine, Broken Hill, Zambia (type locality)

Here we have a former specimen of famous Canadian mineral dealer Prosper Williams. This specimen shows classic sheaf-like tarbuttite crystals in an exposed vug within limonitic matrix with unidentified sulfides (?). Tarbuttite is a rare secondary zinc phosphate and was first identified from samples collected by Percy Tarbutt, a director of the Broken Hill Exploration Company, in 1907, from the Broken Hill (or Kabwe) Mine, in what was then called Northern Rhodesia (now part of Zambia). This specimen was collected in 1959 based on an accompanying French label. Formerly in the collection of Sarah Topham, Prosper's partner, since the 1970s. From Kabwe (Broken Hills) Mine, Kabwe (Broken Hill), Zambia. Dimensions: 5.5 x 7 x 7.5 cm