Baryte

Unknown Owner

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At over 3 kg in weight this is quite a heavy large cabinet display specimen, but that is of course because it is entirely barium-bearing minerals: Baryte and Witherite. It comes from the famous Settlingstones mine in Northumberland, which was Britain's biggest producer of barium compounds from about 1870 to 1970. The Baryte crystals here take the classic Settlingstones form, of opaque white thick wedge-shaped blades rising outwards from a core of massive cream coloured Witherite. However, these crystals are exceptionally large, compared with most seen from this important barium mine. This appears to be because they have developed as stacked crystals, with growth repeated over and over upwards. Added to that, they are in extremely fine overall condition. Ex Martin Kershaw Collection, collected in 1964. If you are buying this for your display cabinet make sure that you have strong shelves.