calamine

Calamine is a historical term used in mineralogy and industry to describe zinc-bearing ore minerals and, in medicine, a preparation used to soothe skin irritation. In geology, calamine designated zinc ores used to extract zinc metal. The ore typically consisted of zinc carbonate minerals such as smithsonite (ZnCO3) and zinc silicate minerals such as hemimorphite (Zn4Si2O7(OH)2·H2O), with variable amounts of related zinc minerals such as hydrozincite. The name derives from the Calamine district in Europe, a historic source of these ores. In older literature, calamine ore was described as the material from which zinc oxide could be produced by roasting, a process that yielded zinc oxide for use in various applications.

Medicine and consumer use:

Calamine lotion is a topical preparation traditionally used to relieve itching and irritation from conditions such as insect bites, poison ivy or oak rashes, sunburn, and minor skin irritations. The lotion typically contains zinc oxide as the primary active ingredient, along with ferric oxide (which gives the familiar pink color) suspended in a liquid medium. While the name remains common in consumer products, modern formulations emphasize zinc oxide as the key active component rather than the historical ore itself.

Mineralogy and terminology:

In contemporary mineral naming, smithsonite and hemimorphite are treated as individual minerals rather than a single “calamine” species. Consequently, the term calamine is primarily encountered in historical, industrial, or medicinal contexts rather than as a current mineral designation. The concept of calamine also appears in discussions of zinc oxide production and related zinc compounds.

See also: smithsonite, hemimorphite, hydrozincite, zinc oxide, calamine lotion.