This small cabinet specimen, bristling with various mineral species from the famous and classic Red Gill mine at Roughton Gill in the Caldbeck Fells of Cumbria, England, will cause many a collector to picture walking in along Roughton Gill and then climbing up to the mine for a good day's collecting. Collecting has long since been strictly banned at this site, although special permission may be gained if applied for with a good scientific purpose. As clearly shown in the images, a highly porous, honeycombed matrix of gossan veinstone Quartz has been split open to reveal a rich assemblage of Linarite (deep blue) with Leadhillite (colourless and lustrous/reflective) and Caledonite (blue-green). Several well developed Linarite crystals are also present nestled withing the network of vugs. On one outer face the iron stained Quartz is richly coated with micro-spheres of yellow-green Pyromorphite. This specimen is accompanied by a very old, unprovenanced label, early to mid 1800s I would estimate.
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