Greenockite

Description

Cadmium is readily absorbed through the skin, perhaps not quite so “readily” when bound to Sulfur in this Greenockite (CdS), but you still shouldn’t touch it. In fact, don’t buy this unless you know better. Don’t touch any rock that looks like this, and definitely don’t lick any rock that looks like this. Greenockite is the only ore of Cadmium. Yet, most Cadmium available today came not from this rock, but as the byproduct of Zinc, Lead, and Copper mining, as it often occurs near Galena and Sphalerite. Historically used as a yellow pigment until the recognition of its toxicity, Greenockite was named after Lord Greenock in 1840 when Robert Jameson first described it. Found everywhere around the globe, primarily near sulfuric volcanic deposits, and in Gilpin, Gunnison, Mineral, Ouray, Park, Pitkin and Teller counties in Colorado.