zinc

Zinc ores from Belgium

1) Zinc ores
2) Zinc ores pictures

2.1. Zoned blende (in German, "Schalenblende"

2.2. Sphalerite

2.3. Calamines

1) Zinc ores
In Belgium, zinc ores have been largely exploited, mainly in the "Meuse-Vesdre" district but as well in the Fagne district and in the Ardenne district.

Ores

Chemical

Description

"Sphalerite"
and
"Zoned blende "

ZnS

Sulfides ores sit under the iron hat.
"Sphalérite" is found as well cristallised specimens but not "zoned blende".

In the "Meuse-Vesdre" district :
In that district, the most important ore bodies contained "zoned blende" and sphalerite is rather rare except in the Bleiberg veins.

In the "Fagne-Famenne" district
In the Fagne district, sphalerite and calamines have been exploited in the past.
In the Famenne district, zinc is not really abondant and it wasn't exploited.
Nethertheless, "Sphalérite" occurs largely as mineralogical specimens.

In the Ardenne district
Zinc isn't abondant in Ardenne and it has been exploited in only one mine : Longvilly. Zinc ore presents as brown sphalerite and never as "zoned blende".

"Calamines"

Smithsonite
ZnCO3

Hemimorphite
Zn4Si2O7(OH)2.H2O

Willemite
Zn2SiO4

Miners named all the zinc ores found in the oxydised zone as "calamine".
These ores are mainly zinc carbonates such as smithsonite [with minor hydrozincite] and zinc silicates (hemimorphite and willemite).
Smithsonite was the most abondant but willemite was very abondant in the large zinc ore body of La Calamine.

Sometimes, smithsonite is really pure but more often, iot was found as scoria like aspect with very small cristals. Color is often brown and it wasn't nice.

2) Some pictures of zinc ore minerals

2.1. "Zoned Blende"
2.2. Sphalerite
2.3. Calamines

2.1. "Zoned blende" ("Schalenblende")

Blende, Schmalgraf

"Zoned blende", often named "schalenblende" was formed by successives beds of blende (dark if it contains iron, less dark, sometimes white if it is iron free), marcasite and sometimes galena.

Blende , Schmalgraf

Schmalgraf (Vesdre)	Schmalgraf (Vesdre)	Schmalgraf (Vesdre)
	Knitted galena (Blende + galena) Landenne (Old Haie-Monet mine) (Meuse)

Schmalgraf (Vesdre)

2.2. Sphalérite


Sphalerite on calcite (" Fond des Vaulx" quarry) Wellin (Famenne)	Sphalerite (Old pyrite mine) Durbuy (Famenne)	Sphalerite (Old lead mine) Beauraing (Famenne)

Galena on sphalerite

Durbuy
(Famenne)

Sphalerite and quartz
Bleiberg veins (District de la Vesdre)

2.3. Calamines

Smithsonite xx
La Calamine (Vesdre)

Hemimorphite and smithsonite
Beauraing (Famenne)

Smithsonite ("Calamine"), Esbroich
"Calamines" have been largely exploited, especially in the Vesdre district.
Before the industrial era, calamine was just collected on the ground, in the superficial zones of the ore-bodies.

Smithsonite ("Calamine"), Rabotrath

blende in smithsonite ("calamine") , Auenberg
Smithsonite ("Calamine"), Landenne

Smithsonite ("calamine") , Auenberg
Smithsonite ("calamine") , Auenberg

Links

Main page (index.html)	"Ardenne district"	List of all the localities
Introduction	"Fagne-Famenne district"	List of all the minerals
All the pages sorted	"Massif de Brabant"	Rare minerals from Belgium
	"Stavelot massif district"
	"Meuse-Vesdre district"	I present me/Trades
Links to others web sites		e-mail

	Smithsonite xx La Calamine (Vesdre)
	Hemimorphite and smithsonite Beauraing (Famenne)
Smithsonite ("Calamine"), Esbroich	"Calamines" have been largely exploited, especially in the Vesdre district. Before the industrial era, calamine was just collected on the ground, in the superficial zones of the ore-bodies. Smithsonite ("Calamine"), Rabotrath
blende in smithsonite ("calamine") , Auenberg	Smithsonite ("Calamine"), Landenne
Smithsonite ("calamine") , Auenberg	Smithsonite ("calamine") , Auenberg