Witherite

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Overshadowed by its neighbour - Fallowfield mine - the Witherite from Settlingstones mine is very different, but non-the-less extremely well crystallized. Presenting its distinctive creamy to fudge colour, the crystals which form dense, solid aggregates, are composed of extremely complex stacked bevelled hexagonal plates with an extremely glossy lustre. Settlingstones was one of the few mines to extract Witherite commercially, at one point being the world's largest producer, and from 1872 to its eventual closure in 1970 it sold over 360,000 tons. This fine small cabinet-sized specimen is in superb condition compared with most that survived the crusher. Indeed, it presents really fine larger elongated crystals made up from hundreds of smaller stacked platy crystals. Ex Martin Kershaw Collection.