Cerussite after Anglesite with Cerussite

specimen number:
2341204

location:
Touissit, Jerada, Oriental, Morocco

description:
I think this is a really neat as a pseudomorph specimen. Very large crystals of what were once thick sharply terminated anglesite are completely replaced by colorless opaque crystallized cerussite. There is very little attached galena matrix, this is mostly large terminated crystals. A second-generation of smaller twinned colorless cerussite crystals are scattered throughout. In great condition all around. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Jan Erik Larsen and dates to the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Touissit, located in the Oriental province of Morocco near the Algerian border, is a historic mining district whose major commercial production began in the early 20th century, specifically around the 1920s, and continued through various phases until operations declined toward the end of the century. Geologically, the deposit is hosted within carbonate-rich sedimentary sequences of Jurassic age, where hydrothermal lead and zinc mineralized fluids circulated through fault systems and replacement horizons. Mineralogically, the district is world-famous among collectors for producing exceptional, highly lustrous specimens of azurite, often associated with vibrant anglesite, cerussite, and vanadinite crystals that developed within oxidized zone cavities.

Cerussite after anglesite is a classic example of a pseudomorph in which lead carbonate replaces lead sulfate. This transformation happens when anglesite interacts with carbonate-bearing solutions in the oxidation zones of ore deposits. While the original orthorhombic crystal morphology of the anglesite is preserved, the internal mineral composition and physical properties completely convert to those of cerussite.

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