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An aid to labeling display quality barite specimens
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Click picture to enlarge. Unless noted all specimens are from Bill & Diana Dameron’s barite suite
EUROPE EXCEPT ROMANIA, SPAIN & BRITISH ISLES
| AUSTRIA | ||
Tirol, Kitzbühel, Hochfilzen |
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White, glossy, short spear-point crystals to 1 cm coating matrix, 7x7.5 cm overall. |
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| BULGARIA | ||
| Sofia, Kremikovtzi (Kremikovtsi, Kremikovci) |
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| Several forms and colors occur in the mines of Kremikovtzi: the brown blades in parallel groups to 2.5 cm are fairly distinctive (6x6 cm specinen); glossy thin tabular blades to 1.3 cm, nice modified faces, dark yellow--gold, 2.8 cm specimen; stalactite with thin dark yellow/olive blades, 6.5 cm tall. These groups of white sparkling chisel blades to 4 cm sold as form Drujba mine, Plovdiv but A. Dikov says the specimen is from Kremikovtzi (likely correct). |
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| 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 Gudurska mine. | ||
| Smolyan, Madan district, Septemvri mine (Pechinsko deposit) | ||
| Thick, glossy tabular crystal, white with varying degrees of translucency, 6x4 cm, with many smaller crystals, in group. Appears to be floater, 7.5x6 cm. Mined 1989. | ||
| CZECH REPUBLIC | ||
| (Bohemia, Pershteyn, Vikmanou mine) UNKNOWN | ||
| Milky slightly pink blades to 3.5 cm in group coated with tiny quartz crystals, some fluorite. The label was from a dealer who lives in the Czech Republic BUT I can find no reference anywhere in literature or on the web to Pershteyn or Vikmanou; DO YOU KNOW? E-mail me if so please (see home page). | ||
| Central Bohemia, Beroun, Dedova hora | ||
| Milky chisel-shaped crystals to 10 cm in groups; also blocky tabular crystals. Note: this program does not at present support the "caron" or inverted circumflex over the "e" in Dedova. |
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| Central 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:
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| Ústí nad Labem (current region in the historic region of Bohemia), Teplice | ||
| Dark amber thick tabular modified crystals, fairly translucent and 4 cm on edge by 1.5 cm thick (largest) in group 7 cm tall. | ||
| 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 | |
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| Thin blades; turn blue with sun? leRM #50 | ||
| Ardèche, St-George-les Bains | |
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| 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 |
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Gold, very translucent thick tabular crystals, usually to several cm. Gemmy, in groups. LeRM #69. |
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| 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) | |
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| 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 | |
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| 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. | ||
| Haut-Rhin, Ribeauvillé, Bergheim (Orschwiller) | ||
| Ancient site; cockscomb blades to several cm, white, somewhat translucent, with clear purple fluortie. See Le RM #88. | ||
| Haute-Vienne, Pont de Mazéras quarry, near Folles | ||
| White blades to several centimeters in groups, often discolored with iron oxide, sometimes with calcite. Also second generation clear, tabular crystals rarely exceeding 1 cm. See LeRM No. 82. | ||
Hérault, Cabrières |
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| 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. | ||
| Hérault, Usclas-du-Bosc quarry | ||
| Thin white cockscomb blades (in groups often referred to as "livre ouvert"), sometimes very large (over 20 cm). Many with azurite and malachite. See LRM #19. Specimen with azurite 4.5x4.5 cm; barite only 11.2x8 cm. Both: photo L.-D. Bayle, G. Lecointre collection. | ||
| 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. | ||
| Isère, Vizille. | ||
| Clear to white relatively thin tabular crystals to several cm, someetimes zoned, with siderite. See LRM #78. | ||
| Lot, near Faycelles, Gaillot deposit | ||
| Cream colored cockscomb blades to 2.5 cm with 5-7 mm azurite balls. Decent barite probably very rare, limited supply, but spectacular specimens possible. LeRM #86. | ||
Lozère, Piboul mine |
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Yellow tabular crystals to 4+ cm with yellow fluorite cubes. Andy Seibel specimen. |
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Lozère, St-Etienne-de-Valdonnez, Buisson mine |
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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 and for an in-depth article and lots of pictures, LeRM #90, p. 5-16. |
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| 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 | |
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| 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 | |
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| Very small clear/white crystals, sometimes to 2 cm. leRMextra 03 | ||
| Rhône, Lantignié | |
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| 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 | |
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| 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 | |
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| Fluorite locality, nice barite. Le RM #43 | ||
| GERMANY | ||
| Baden-Württemberg, Schwarzwald, Oberwolfach, Clara mine | ||
Classic locality. From left:
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| Baden-Württemberg, Schwarzwald, Urberg, near St. Blasien, Gottesehre mine | ||
| White cockscomb blades, specimen 8x10 cm; also with quartz crystals, specimen 9x10 cm. Both Sebastian Möller specimens and photos. | ||
| Baden-Württemberg, Schwarzwald, Münstertal, Teufelsgrund | ||
| Nice very white sparkly cockscombs to 2.5 cm on very small clear/grey fluorite cubes, on matrix with sulfides (sphalerite?), 5x6 cm. Similar specimens from Gottesehre mine NE of Munstertal, near St. Blasien. See above and http://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/Mineralienportrait/Baryt | ||
| Baden-Württemberg, Schwarzwald, Wieden, Anton mine | |
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| Small, attractive white bladed balls with larger fluorite. Also orange coated | ||
| Baden-Württemberg, Schwarzwald, Wieden, Tannenboden mine | ||
| White cockscomb crystals, fairly large. This is a Larry Havens specimen, specimen 25x15 cm. | ||
| Bavaria, Cacilia mine? | |
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| Flesh colored thin tabular blades to 2.5 cm on greenish fluorite | ||
| Lower Saxony, Harz Mts. |
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| 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. |
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| Lower Saxony, Harz Mts., Lauterberg, Wolkenhuegel mine | |
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| Thick white parallel crystals with small chalcopyrite. Hand size. | ||
| Lower Saxony, Harz Mts, Bad Grund, Wildemann mine | |
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| 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. |
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| 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:
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| Saxony, Erzgebirge, Schwarzenberg District, Pöhla, Pöhla-Tellerhäuser Mine | |
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Classic locality. From left:
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Saxony, Annaberg-Buchholz |
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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. |
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| Saxony, Annaberg-Buchholz, Frohnau | ||
Pink (center) to cream-colored to milky clear blades to 6.5 cm in radiating group, 7.5x3.8 cm, with scattering of bright small chalcopyrite crystals (which coat the back). Collected August 2009. |
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| Saxony, Erzgebirge, Heilige Dreifaltigkeit mine | |
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| Clear, squarish tabular crystals thin to medium thick, to 2 cm. | ||
| Saxony, Vogtland | ||
| Howard Messing got this 10.5 cm specimen with 4 cm crystals labeled Brunndöbra, Vogtland, Saxony. But it is unlike Brunndöbra specimens. On Mindat the discussion has perhaps ruled out Magma mine, Arizona (same habit). There is some support for Zobes, a uranium deposit, also in Vogtland, Saxony. It looks amazingly like Eberhard Equit's drawing of barite from Niederschlema, in the Erzgebirge part of Saxony. But MinDat reports no barite from Niederschlema. Maybe Equit's model specimen was mislabeled? It is a very fine specimen and we should know where it is from! | ||
| Thuringia, Harz Mts., Nordhausen, near Ilfeld | |
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Occurs (rarely) with the well-known manganite in white tabular crystals, somewhat thick. Usually just cleavages. This piece about 9-10 cm across. |
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| GREECE | ||
| Cyclades, Milos Island, Kalamavros (mountain) | |
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| Clearish small blades (to 1.2 cm) in large plates. (Mindat.org) | ||
| Cyclades, Seriphos Island | |
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| 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 | |
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| 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. | ||
| Heves, Gyöngyösoroszi, near Gyöngyös | ||
| White tabular blade, 2 cm on edge by 0.4 cm thick, on calcite scalenohedrons with one larger calcite crystal and small sulfides, 4x6 cm. | ||
| IRELAND-Separate Webpage | ||
| ITALY | ||
| Piemonte, Torino, Ivrea, Brosso mine |
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| 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 Sardinia. 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, Barega mine | ||
| According to Giorgio Spiga, "The Barega mine, located between Carbonia and Villamassargia, was the biggest Sardinian Barite mine in the early 1960s, but only between 1980 and 1983 and only in the Monti Unixeddu stope were collectable specimens found. In the 1990s the company faced hard problems due to competition from foreign Barite producers and in 1997 the mine was closed." Specimens from Mont'e Mesu orebody are sometimes mislabeled as coming from Barega. First specimen is 20 cm with crystals to 4 cm; second is 16 cm with a 7 cm crystal. | ||
| Sardegna, Carbonia-Iglesias, Sulcis area, Villamassargia, Mont'e Mesu orebody | ||
Sardinian collector Giorgio Spiga kindly provided locale information on barites from the island and photos of many of his excellent specimens. According to Giorgio, "Mont'e Mesu is a hill close to Villamassargia, in the Sulcis area (northwest of Cagliari). In this area were located the most important Sardinian barite mines and ore bodies. Today all mines are closed and only rockhounds dig in the Sulcis hills. The best specimens were found during the second half of the 1970s, but some good specimens are still found." Left to right:
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| 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 | ||
| Like Riu Bachera mine, another barite locality close to Nuxis, with large crystals. These two specimens are Giorgio Spiga's. The first is just under 10 cm long, 6.5 cm across; the second piece is 19x17 cm. | ||
| Sardegna, Carbonia-Iglesias, Sulcis area, Nuxis, Riu Bachera mine | ||
Locality for the popular "coffin" shaped primatic crystals. These very often labeled Silius, Cagliari but according to Giorgio Spiga they are not (see Silius, below). Many on the market came out in 1972-73 (likely the first, Dameron specimen.) Giorgio Spiga's specimens shown here are all from a March 2007 find. From left:
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| Sardegna, Cagliari, Gerrei area, near Silius, Muscadroxiu mine | |
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| Glassy translucent crystals to 4 cm, CT Minerals specimen. Typical glassy somewhat complex light yellow crystal, 4.5 cm, with amber phantom and smaller crystals plus small calcite rhombohedrons. 7x7 cm. Both barite and calcite fluoresce. Also reportedly in transparent blue thin blades to 3 cm. Precise locality details courtesy of Giorgio Spiga. | ||
| Sardegna, Carbonia-Iglesias, Flumimaggiore, Santa Lucia mine | |
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| Thin somewhat gold bladed tabular crystals in points to about 5 cm in parallel groups. | ||
| Toscana, Lucca, Sant' Anna di Stazzema, Argentiera di Sant'Anna Mines | ||
| Creamy somewhat iron stained thick blades to 2 cm; 3.5x3.5 cm specimen of Renato Pagano. White square blades to 1+cm in tight group, 5x7 cm, virtually no damage. Ex-Pagano, ex-Marchetti. | ||
| Trento, Vignola mine | ||
| Clear, grey or milky crystals, sometimes to 20 cm, with light yellow-green or blue fluorite cubes. Sometimes with oxide coating. See LRM #78. | ||
| 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) | |
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| 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) | |
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| 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 | |
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| Tabular milky crystals, several centimeters, in Alpine veins with quartz. LeRM hors série V '99 | ||
| UNITED KINGDOM-separate webpage | ||
BARITE SPECIMEN LOCALITIES
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