In order to remove the harmful metal ions in lead-zinc mineral processing wastewater, two natural clay minerals (bentonite and kaolin) were used as adsorbents and Zn(II) ions were the emphasis in this work. The adsorption behaviors including kinetics and isotherms were investigated by batch experiments. In addition, the adsorption mechanisms were studied by means of zeta potential testing, optical microscope and XRD analysis. The results show that the adsorption process can be best described as the pseudo-second order kinetic model. The adsorption equilibrium data of bentonite and kaolinite can be respectively fitted best by Langmuir and Freundlich models. Thermodynamic studies display that the adsorption of Zn(II) onto clays is non-spontaneous and endothermic. The maximum capacity of Zn(II) adsorbed on bentonite and kaolinite respectively reaches to 79.2 mg·g-1 and 6.35 mg·g-1 at 25 °C. The structural differences of bentonite and kaolinite result in the differences in adsorption behavior and mechanism. The interaction mechanisms of Zn(II) with bentonite and kaolinite involve electrostatic attraction, cation exchange, surface complex and precipitation. Bentonite as adsorbent has the potential to remove Zn2+ better than kaolinite.