Barite

Unknown Owner

A large thick lustrous partly gemmy amber colored barite crystal without matrix. Minimal damage present as seen. This very attractive, the specimen exhibits interesting overgrowth. The specimen comes with a previous antique label as shown at the end of the video. This label dates the specimen to the very early 20th century. Barite from Cote d'Abot (near Saint-Saturnin, Puy-de-Dome, France) is a classic French collector locality where barite formed from post-Oligocene thermal spring activity, producing well known honey to amber, tabular "coffin-shaped" crystals. Much of the material entered collections through small scale digging and amateur collecting in the mid to late 20th century, and the locality remains best known for large, lustrous crystals rather than major industrial production.