Barite on Witherite

Settlingstones mine was originally a lead mine, but for its final fifty years worked an extremely large vein of the relatively rare barium mineral Witherite, barium carbonate. This fine cabinet display specimen is a beautifully crisp and clean example of snow-white Baryte crystals overgrowing a matrix of almost pure Witherite. The Witherite is crystallised over the display surface and can be distinguished from the Baryte by its smaller crystal size and creamy, slightly off-pure white colour. The Baryte forms straight edged spear-like tabular crystals of typically 0.7 cm tall by up to 1.2 cm wide at their bases. A most aesthetic specimen dominated by an 8 cm diameter dome of Baryte covering Witherite.