ABOUT THIS ARTWORK 
Smithsonite is a secondary mineral found in the rocks above and around many important zinc deposits. It was first recognized by James Smithson (1754-1829), an English chemist and collector of minerals. Translucent specimens, such as the green seen here, are a favorite of mineral collectors, along with blue, pink, and yellow.  Smithsonite is a good example of a collector's gem. It often has spectacular beauty but is too fragile to be practical in jewelry. This specimen is from Magdalena, New Mexico.
 
COLLECTION DETAILS
Artwork title: Smithsonite
Edition: Limited edition of 1000
Proof of Ownership: Certification on the Ethereum blockchain under the ERC1155 protocol. Each artwork is delivered privately and directly to collectors as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that guarantee proof of ownership.
Format: Piece consist of PNG files sized 2160x3840 pixels - 150 dpi.
Contract Address: 0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e
ID: 2749212597480566...
 
ABOUT THE PERSON BEHIND THE ARTWORK
James Smithson dedicated his life to the study of chemistry and mineralogy, publishing several research papers on the subject. He also discovered a new mineral ore, now called smithsonite. In 1836, left his estate to the U.S. to launch the Smithsonian Institution, but it took another 10 years before it was actually founded.  An avid mineral collector, he amassed over 8,000 specimens, which also became the Smithsonian’s initial mineral collection. In 1865, a fire at the museum destroyed most of those specimens.
 
COLLECTION CREDITS
Historical curatorship: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Year of original publication: 1802
Post-production: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Digital art supervisor: Marie-Lou Desmeules
Editorial: Braden Phillips
Historical research: Evangelos Rosios, Braden Phillips
Executive production: Victor Zabrockis
 
RIGHTS OVERVIEW
Source of artwork: National Museum of Natural History
Underlying work rights: CC0
Digital copyrights: CC0