Pyromorphite (Unusual Habit, Circa Late 1700'S) - image 1

Pyromorphite (Unusual Habit, Circa Late 1700'S) - image 2

Pyromorphite (Unusual Habit, Circa Late 1700'S)

Unknown Owner

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Emplaced on massive, white quartz, and covering all the matrix, are globular shaped, lustrous and translucent, orange-golden colored pyromorphites. A very old, handwritten 1800's-era label, along with the labels of Richard Barstow and Ralph Sutcliffe accompany the specimen. Barstow purchased it in a rock shop in London in 1968, but the previous source was un-named. In the course of researching for our book, we found that Mick Cooper had previously realized that the location on the label given as specifically "Caldbeck Hill" was out of use by 1800; and so this piece, by its label, dates to the 1700s. As such, it is probably the oldest specimen in the collection and one of the oldest documented lead mineral specimens from this locale. As well, it is simply beautiful, and an unusual pyromorphite in any case. Fascinating! Illustrated in "Classic Minerals of Northern England," page 41