BARITE SPECIMEN LOCALITIES

An aid to labeling display quality barite specimens

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EUROPE EXCEPT ROMANIA, SPAIN & BRITISH ISLES

	AUSTRIA
Tirol, Kitzbühel, Hochfilzen
	White, glossy, short spear-point crystals to 1 cm coating matrix, 7x7.5 cm overall.
	BULGARIA
Sofia, Kremikovtzi (Kremikovtsi, Kremikovci)
	Several forms and colors occur in the mines of Kremikovtzi: tabular milky bladed crystals, clear prismatic crystals, the brown blades in parallel groups to 2.5 cm.
Plovdiv, near Laki, Djourkovo deposit/Drujba mine
	This large deposit has much specimen material, including barite. White sparkling blades grouped in spears, to 4 cm, attractive brownish inclusions in tips.
Smolyan, Zlatograd, Androvo mine
	These very glossy crystals to 2.4 cm on galena were new to the US in 2007; 5 cm specimen. Evidently NOT from Drujba, which was how this piece was sold. Most authentic citation seems to be Androvo mine, definitely Zlatograd; one source says or Gudurska mine.
	CZECH REPUBLIC
Bohemia, Pershteyn, Vikmanou mine
	Milky slightly pink blades to 3.5 cm in group coated with tiny quartz crystals, some fluorite.
Bohemia, Pribram, near Brezové Hory
	Several mines produced barite (Anna, Vojtck, Sadek, Stepan (Stephan)). Usually golden/honey colored, tabular or blocky, or white or clear, in thin blades or sometimes rosettes. Also in modified blades, slightly bluish with whiter "pyramid" faces. Left to right: The white glossy doubly terminated blades above are to 3.5 cm; The British NH Museum piece is stunning, transparent tabular crystals, golden brown to 4+ cm, zoned; Clear spray of chisel tipped crystals to 2.5 cm collected in 1899, but many others date from the 1700s; 4 cm single crystal (actually doubly terminated) capped with hematite-stained dolomite crystals and some pyrite inclusions; Dark honey-colored group of crystals (to 2+ cm, doubly terminated) with tiny balls of pyrite and pyrite inclusions, but a terrible old repair job virtually impossible to repair; Slightly blue tabular crystals (Josef Vajdak specimen), 2+ cm, with calcite; Clear crystals on a thin matrix, 2.5 cm (collected 1760, Josef Vajdak specimen); Group of parallel chisel shaped crystals on salmon-colored matrix (Vajdak specimen, collected 1790), about 2.5 cm each, heavily included with pyrite.
	FRANCE
Ardèche, Aubenas
	Very thin very light blue blades in groups to 1 cm; 4x5.5 cm overall.
Ardèche, Flaviac
	Several deposits – Alice , etc. Tabular golden plates to 6 cm, smaller ones gemmy leRM #53.
Ardèche, Soyons
	Thin blades; turn blue with sun? leRM #50
Ardèche, St-George-les Bains
	Attractive gold, translucent modified tabluar crystals to 7 cm. leRM. Jourdan collection.
Ardèche, St-Laurent-les Bains
	White cockscomb blades much like those from the quarry near Saint Peray (see below).
Ardèche, quarry near Saint Peray
	White cockscomb blades in groups to 4 cm with tiny crystals of marcasite (maybe some pyrite also) on edges and back, a few very small purple fluorite cubes. 6x6.5 cm. Collected 2005 per Alain Martaud.
Ardèche, St-du-Pape
	Gold, very translucent thick tabular crystals, usually to several cm. Gemmy, in groups. LeRM #69.
Aude, Salsignes, La Caunette mine
	Small (mostly 1 cm) gemmy prismatic crystals, transparent, light golden color, on gossan matrix, 2.5x3.5 cm. Collected 1998 per Alain Martaud. The blocky clear to olive colored crystals to 1.3 cm have some faces coated with an iron stain which extends down into the crystal; 3.5x5 cm overall, also collected in 1998.
Aveyron, near Millau, (Peyres mine)
	White to ivory thin blades in cockscomb groups to 4.5 cm with tiny quartz crystals, 3x5.5 cm overall. There are several localities; the "Peyres" mine is reportedly different than those of the roadcut for the famous bridge. Many habits of barite can be found in the area; glossy groups of thicker blades, yellowish, to 6 cm; clear tabular blades to several cm; very thick glossy clear/lite brown tabular blades to 4 cm, often with calcite or ankerite. See leRM#63.
Isère, Bourg d’Oisans, mine de La Gardette
	Classic white opaque tabular crystals, rather large.
Corrèze, Ussel, Les Farges mine
	Small crystals on and with the famous pyromorphite.
Drôme, Remuzat
	Tiny needles in apparent septarian nodule; such barites common in Provence . This simply labeled "Remuzat;" not yet tested to see if it might be celestine.
Gard, St-Laurent-le-Minier, les Cèdres, mine des Malines
	Classic showy white balls, called "pompons" (pompoms) in French, to 4 cm (occur larger), touch of gray, tiny orange sphalerites on 7.5 cm matrix. Dr. Asselborn's whiter ball is on 9.2 cm matrix.
Haute-Loire, Langeac, Marsanges mine
	Transparent very slightly blue thin tabular crystals to 2.8 cm on edge in group, 3.5x7 cm. Collected about 1965 per Alain Martaud.
Hérault, Cabrières
	White opague fairly thin plates of tabular crystals to 4 cm. This 6x5.5 cm specimen still has very stubborn iron stains which seem to resist most chemical cleaning methods.
Indre, Chaillac, Rossignol & Les Redoutières mines
	Small (0.7) cm reddish-tinged tabular blades, two "pyramid" faces only (i.e. chisels), in 11 cm group. Occurs larger, to ~4 cm; grey/clear. Also blue clear, zoned tabular, off-white blades and balls (often on fluorite cubes), some galena & pyrite. Working barite mine featuring also pyromorphite, cerussite, fluorite, galena, goethite. le RM hors série X.
Lozère, Piboul mine
	Yellow tabular crystals to 4+ cm with yellow fluorite cubes. Andy Seibel specimen.
Lozère, St-Etienne-de-Valdonnez, Buisson mine
	Very pale yellow (occurs also as milky) crested blades in "pompons" to 2.5 cm on sphalerite matrix with tiny quartz crystals, 5x7 cm overall. See LeRM #71. New 2006.
Puy-de-Dôme, Four-la-Brouque, St-Babel
	Dark orange-gray prismatic scepters, 6 cm.
Puy-de-Dôme, near Barrage (Dam) de Bort-les-Orgues
	Attractive clear/gold zoning, tabular crystals, to 5 cm, in groups. Also white. With quartz & siderite. Locality can be under water. leRM#60.
Puy-de-Dôme, Liauzin (Liauzun?) (St-Saturnin, Côte d’Abot?)
	Labeled as from one of the uranium localities, Liauzin. Liauzin is evidently a deposit associated with Côte d’Abot; Liazun is a uranium deposit. Any clarification appreciated. Very clear light amber square tabular crystals to 1.4 cm, 3x3.5 cm overall. Collected 2001 per Alain Martaud.
Puy-de-Dôme, Veneix (near Coudes)
	Light golden to grey thick (to 0.9 cm) tabular crystals to 2 cm, glossy edges, semi-glossy faces, cloudy centers. Grouped on matrix, 4x6 cm. Collected about 2001 per Alain Martaud.
Puy-de-Dôme, Volvic, n. of Clermont-Ferrand, Chatel-Guyon
	Light golden tabular translucent crystals to 2 cm or larger, very glossy edges, semi-glossy faces, in 4.5x6 cm group. First group collected about 1997 according to Alain Martaud. Second similar group is 3.5 cm tall. See leRM special #2 '96.
Puy-de-Dôme, Roure
	Gemmy, lustrous, blocky amber 6x8 cm crystals. Resembles closely crystals from classic Côte d’Abot, St-Saturnin.
Puy-de-Dôme, St-Saturnin, Côte d’Abot
	Well known localityfor gemmy amber (dark gold to olive colored) blocky crystals. This clear olive/dark amber scepter is 5.5 cm. The 9.5x5 cm zoned mkore olive colored crystal is a floater, attached at one time but completely rehealed with crystal faces everywhere, collected in 2007 according to Alain Martaud. The gemmier somewhat yellower tabular crystal, 4.5x5 cm, is also a floater, was also collected in 2007.
Rhône, Chessey
	Very small clear/white crystals, sometimes to 2 cm. leRMextra 03
Rhône, Lantignié
	Fair white blades; fluorite, wulfenite locality. leRM #26
Saône-et-Loire, Autun, mine de Maine-Reclesne
	Gold/olive glassy chisel crystals ("sifflets" or whistles in French) to 9 cm in large groups, classic. Many other forms also occur here, such as white blades.
Saône-et-Loire, Voltennes, La Petite-Verrière, Barreau mine
	Milky to clear thin somewhat pointed blades in groups to 2 cm long covering matrix with tiny, deep brown classic shaped dolomite crystals; 4x6 cm specimen, collected 1973 according to Alain Martaud. Larger (7x8 cm) specimen, also with dolomite, has whiter blades to 3 cm and was collected in 1974.
Var, near Fréjus, l'Avelan mine
	Clear floaters; 3x4x0.5 cm and 4.5x6x0.5 cm, collected in 1995 according to Alain Martaud. Also occurs with fluorite, le RM #31.
Var, mine de Fontsante
	Fluorite locality, nice barite. Le RM #43
	GERMANY
Baden-Württemberg, Schwarzenwald, Oberwolfach, Clara mine
	Classic locality. From left: Large (6+ cm) unmarred translucent chisels with attractive zoning, 5.5x7 cm; Grey/brown opague pointed to flat translucent chisel blades, brown inclusions, some zoned, to 1.8 cm, 3.5x4 cm; Dark grey somewhat rounded chisel shaped crystals to 1.5 cm with tan inclusions/tips, 6x6 cm; Clear yellow tabular crystals to 2 cm, some zoning, in this 10 cm group.
Baden-Württemberg, Schwarzenwald, Münstertal, Herrenwald Vein
	White blades, dark sections, to 4 cm with fluorite
Baden-Württemberg, Schwarzenwald, Wieden, Anton mine
	Small, attractive white bladed balls with larger fluorite. Also orange coated
Bavaria, Cacilia mine?
	Flesh colored thin tabular blades to 2.5 cm on greenish fluorite
Lower Saxony, Harz Mts.
	Exact locality still unknown; this stalactite with white, tooth-like crystal groups to 1 cm is 5.5 cm tall. Tiny black flecks in crystals. Fairly old label just says Harz Mountains; can you help? See Home Page for contact information.
Lower Saxony, Harz Mts., Lauterberg, Wolkenhuegel mine
	Thick white parallel crystals with small chalcopyrite. Hand size.
Lower Saxony, Harz Mts, Bad Grund, Wildemann mine
	Clear doubly terminated tabular crystal, 12x5 cm. Kristalle specimen. Also white "balls" of blades coated with yellow-brown coating or another mineral.
Lower Saxony, Sarstedt, Gott Clay Pit
	Small (0.8 cm) green rosettes of barite blades on tiny chatoyant brown siderite blades.
Rheinland-Pfalz, Ruschberg, Baumholder, Clarashall mine
	Clear parallel crystals to 1.5 cm with red tips and scattered tiny cinnabar crystals. 4x5 cm; 4x5 cm group, clear parallel tabular crystals (3x5 cm, largest crystal), a little cinnabar.
North Rhine-Westphalia, Sauerland, Dreislar
	Classic white opaque chisel crystals to 3.5 cm with chalcopyrite sprinkles in 8 cm group. Also smaller crystals with pink centers, 9 cm group.
Saxony, Freiberg
	Left to right: Clear thick tabular 3 cm crystal with tiny galena inclusions; Clear tabular crystal group 4 cm tall coated with quartz crystals and tiny pyrite balls; White cockscombs to 1.5 cm with tiny fluorite cubes and sphalerite, Hunterian M&AG, coll. 1830s-40s. Thomas Brown (d.1853) label: St. Rupert's, near Freiberg (Freyberg); Another Brown specimen in the Hunterian: reddish stained fluorite & barite crystals to 4 cm "bought at a sale in 1850," labeled Freyberg.
Saxony-Anhalt, Erzgebirge, near Crottendorf, Pöhla mine
	Classic locality. From left: Typical gemmy coffin-shaped crystals to 2+ cm in 9 cm group Brown/gold zoned fat crystals to 9 cm Heavily coated tabular crystals to about 3 cm in large group (George Gerhold specimen); Thick white/reddish tinged blades to 5 cm with fluorite, and unusually acanthite (Cal Graeber specimen).
Saxony-Anhalt, Annaberg
	Gold 6x4 cm crystal with quartz on large matrix. Seaman specimen, mine not specified.
	Zoned tabular light gold/brown crystals to 1.5 cm on good quality fluorite crystals are reported. This old specimen in the Hunterian M&AG is from the Christie collection (1917) and labeled Annaberg, Erzgebirge. Crystals to 1.5 cm. Picture taken in less-than-ideal conditions.
Saxony-Anhalt, Erzgebirge, Heilige Dreifaltigkeit mine
	Clear, squarish tabular crystals thin to medium thick, to 2 cm.
Thuringia, Harz Mts., Nordhausen, near Ilfeld
	Occurs (rarely) with the well-known manganite in white tabular crystals, somewhat thick. Usually just cleavages. This piece about 9-10 cm across.
	GREECE
Cyclades, Milos Island, Kalamavros (mountain)
	Clearish small blades (to 1.2 cm) in large plates. (Mindat.org)
Cyclades, Seriphos Island
	Very clear, thin tabular blades with modified edges, to 2.5 cm in parallel group on gossan matrix.
Attica, Laurium (Lavrion)
	Tabular crystals to 1 cm, orange (hematite) tinged edges, 8 cm group. Also clear thick blades to 4.5 cm.
	HUNGARY
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Rudabánya
	Generally white blades in attractive rosettes to several cm; also smaller cream-colored tabular crystals. See MR 32/2. First specimen (Hun. Nat. Hist. Mus.) is 3x4 cm; second (Herman Ottó Museum) is 4.5x5.5 cm; third specimen, also Herman Ottó Museum, is smaller, rosettes about 3 cm across. All photos by Laszlo Horváth.
	IRELAND-Separate Webpage
	ITALY
Piemonte, Torino, Ivrea, Brosso mine
	Crisp, white, zoned, doubly-terminated tabular crystals, these to 3 cm.
Sardegna, (Carbonia-Iglesias, Sulcis area, Orbai)
	Very clear somewhat complex tabular crystals, less than 2 cm. Labeled only Sarinia. Giorgio Spiga says might be Orbai.
Sardegna, Carbonia-Iglesias, Sulcis area, Barbusi, Sa Corona 'e sa Craba
	Thin, fragile, clear light green blades to 6 cm on edge in group.
Sardegna, Carbonia-Iglesias, Sulcis area, Villamassargia, Mont' e Mesu orebody
	Classic yellowish-green, translucent pointed tabular crystals with phantoms, to 2+ cm in 7 cm group; golden, transparent, zoned tabular crystals to 2 cm in group. Locality details courtesy of Giorgio Spiga.
Sardegna, Carbonia-Iglesias, Iglesiente area, Gonnesa, Domus Nieddas
	Clear prismatic crystals to 3 cm matrix, 4.5x7 cm. Locality courtesy of Giorgio Spiga.
Sardegna, Carbonia-Iglesias, Sulcis area, Nuxis, Riu Bachera mine
	Doubly terminated “coffin” prismatic crystal 2x6 cm, transparent gold on two faces, frosting on two others, with other crystals in 7 cm group. These usually labeled Silius, Cagliari but according to Giorgio Spiga they are not. Many on the market came out in 1972-73. The locality fell into the province of Carbonia-Iglesias when the province was created after that time.
Sardegna, Cagliari, Gerrei area, near Silius, Muscadroxiu mine
	Glassy translucent crystals to 4 cm, CT Minerals. Also reportedly in transparent blue thin blades to 3 cm; thick clear golden prismatic crystals with darker tips. Locality details courtesy of Giorgio Spiga.
Sardegna, Carbonia-Iglesias, Flumimaggiore, Santa Lucia mine
	Thin somewhat gold bladed tabular crystals in points to about 5 cm in parallel groups.
Toscana, Lucca, Sant' Anna di Stazzema
	Creamy somewhat iron stained thick blades to 2 cm; 3.5x3.5 cm specimen of Renato Pagano.
	NORWAY
Bamble, Telemark
	Deep gold tabular crystal, many internal fractures, lustrous, 4 cm. Occurs larger. Old labels also include town of Brevik but that is in the "municipality" of Posgrunn and Bamble is an adjoining, separate "municipality" (larger than a town), so Brevik might not be accurate for labels.
	POLAND
Dolnyslaskie, near Zlotorya (Sanislawow? – see notes)
	Reportedly 1 cm clear crystals on pyrolusite globules. Cited as Stanislawow in Bernard & Hyršl, but not to be confused with the very well known Stanislawow, formerly a Polish region now renamed and in Ukraine and the site of infamous Nazi massacres.
Podkarpackie, Tarnobrzeg, Machow mine (also Stani Slava)
	Classic locality. However, elongated crystals are celestine and mislabeled, even the dark gold ones, according to Polish geologists & Minerals of the Carpathians. Flat, tabular crystals are barite. Clear, thin crystals with brown tint in lower portions of the crystals, 6.5 cm specimen. Very clear crystals to 2.5 cm in 7 cm group, and small white chisel crystals with sulfur. Sometimes labeled as Stani Slava, which is the nearby pit, not the minem, but the same deposit. THE LAST TWO PICTURES ABOVE ARE OF CELESTINE.
	ROMANIA - Separate Webpage
	SLOVAKIA
Banskobystrický, Banská Štiavnica (Schemnitz)
	Historic mining center in the region (kraj) of Banskobystrický. The German name Schemnitz was used when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (until 1918). Clear tabular crystals to 2.5 cm with black metallic needle inclusions (stibnite?) and brown stained microcrystals (barite?). The NMS specimen has crystals to 1.5 cm with black inclusions. *Edinburgh NMS images are copyrighted and reproduction and display are prohibited without written consent. http://www.nms.ac.uk/
	SPAIN - Separate Webpage
	SWITZERLAND
Valais, Mt. Blanc, Mt. Chemin near Jeur Verte
	Tabular milky crystals, several centimeters, in Alpine veins with quartz. LeRM hors série V '99
	UNITED KINGDOM-separate webpage

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