Detailed information
Species
Baryte, var. Radian Baryte
Dimensions
48 x 50 x 33
mm
Weight
62 g
Locality
Lahošť, Duchcov, Teplice District Ústí nad Labem Region Czech Republic
Condition
No recorded repairs
The Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region, Czechia has been famous for amber coloured Baryte crystals for well over a century, with known examples sold in the late 1800s by the German dealers Krantz. They came from Lahošť at Duchcov where a quarry was later developed and where specimens have been found even within this current century, but the crystals are generally quite small and not usually so richly coloured. This miniature-sized specimen comes from the superb systematic collection assembled by the brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021) and has the feel of being very old. The glossy, colour-zoned deep amber-coloured tabular Baryte crystals reach up to 1.8 cm on edge and form a very rich aggregate upon a small piece of rock matrix. There is some age-related general wear to the Baryte crystals, but this is a not often seen old-timer from this classic Czech occurrence.