Calamine is a historic name for an ore of zinc. The name calamine was derived from the Belgian town of Kelmis, whose French name is "La Calamine", which is home to a zinc mine. Iron ore (Banded iron formation) Manganese ore Lead ore Gold ore An ore is a volume of rock containing components or minerals in a mode of occurrence which renders it valuable for mining. ... General Name, Symbol, Number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Atomic mass 65. ... Kelmis (in French, La Calamine) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. ... Chuquicamata, the largest open pit copper mine in the world, Chile. ...

During the late 18th century it was discovered that what had been thought to be one ore was actually two distinct minerals: Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. ...

• Zinc carbonate ZnCO₃ or smithsonite and
• Zinc silicate Zn₄Si₂O₇(OH)₂·H₂O or hemimorphite.

The two minerals are usually very similar in appearance and can only be distinguished through chemical analysis. The first to separate the minerals was the British chemist and mineralogist James Smithson in 1803. In the mining industry the term calamine is still used to refer to both minerals indiscriminately. Categories: Mineral stubs | Carbonate minerals ... Smithsonite (Zinc Carbonate) Smithsonite, or zinc spar, is zinc carbonate ZnCO3, a mineral ore of zinc. ... Hemimorphite, is a sorosilicate mineral which has been mined from days of old from the upper parts of zinc and lead ores, chiefly associated with smithsonite. ... Hemimorphite, is a sorosilicate mineral which has been mined from days of old from the upper parts of zinc and lead ores, chiefly associated with smithsonite. ... Analytical chemistry is the analysis of material samples to gain an understanding of their chemical composition and structure. ... James Smithson, FRS, MA (1765 – June 27, 1829) was a British mineralogist and chemist noted for having left a bequest in his will to the United States of America, which was used to fund the Smithsonian Institution. ...

In mineralogy calamine is no longer considered a valid term. It has been replaced by Smithsonite and hemimorphite in order to distinguish it from the pinkish mixture of zinc oxide (ZnO) and iron(III) oxide (Fe₂O₃) used in calamine lotion (see: calamine). Mineralogy is an earth science that involves the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals. ... Smithsonite (Zinc Carbonate) Smithsonite, or zinc spar, is zinc carbonate ZnCO3, a mineral ore of zinc. ... Hemimorphite, is a sorosilicate mineral which has been mined from days of old from the upper parts of zinc and lead ores, chiefly associated with smithsonite. ... Zinc oxide is a chemical compound with formula ZnO. It is nearly insoluble in water but soluble in acids or alkalis. ... Iron(III) oxide — also known as ferric oxide, red iron oxide, synthetic maghemite, colcothar, or simply rust — is one of several oxide compounds of iron, and is most notable for its ferromagnetic properties. ... Calamine is a mixture of zinc oxide (ZnO) with about 0. ...

Until the 18th century, calamine was essential for the production of brass since metallic zinc does not exist in nature and no technique was known to produce it. Brass produced using calamine is called calamine brass. Brass is the term used for alloys of copper and zinc in a solid solution. ... Calamine brass is brass produced by a particular alloying technique using calamine, a zinc ore, rather than metallic zinc. ...

See also

• Calamine, a mixture used in calamine lotion
• Smithsonite
• Hemimorphite