Nsutite

specimen number:
2354109

location:
Nsuta Mine, Tarkwa, Western Region, Ghana

description:
From the type locality for the species, several large open pockets across the front of this matrix are lined with black non-lustrous botryoidal crystalline nsutite. Very fine example for this mineral.

Located near Tarkwa in the Western Region of Ghana, the Nsuta Mine targets ancient Paleoproterozoic Birimian metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks containing massive lens-like bodies of manganese ore. Commercial extraction began in 1916 after large surface deposits were uncovered, quickly establishing the site as one of the premier global sources of high-grade battery oxide ores throughout the twentieth century. Intensive tropical weathering and secondary enrichment of the primary manganese carbonates created a diverse assemblage of oxide species, most notably yielding the discovery of nsutite. Named after its type locality at Nsuta in 1962, nsutite is a hard, dark gray to black manganese oxide mineral formed near the surface through oxidation processes. Because of its unusual electrochemical properties, naturally occurring nsutite from Nsuta was historically prized worldwide for dry-cell battery manufacturing, making specimen collection and industrial mining of this mineral famous among geologists and industrial mineralogists alike.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.