Detailed information
Species
Baryte, Dolomite
Dimensions
92 x 76 x 63
mm
Locality
Mowbray Mine, Frizington West Cumberland Iron Field Cumbria, England
Condition
No recorded repairs
This spectacular blue Baryte on Dolomite is from Mowbray mine, just to the south west of the town of Frizington in west Cumbria, England. Mowbray's principal ore was Hematite and it is regarded as one of the major specimen-producing mines in the Cumberland Iron Field. A single Baryte crystal measuring 8.9 cm tall, 7.3 cm wide and varying between 0.9 and 1.5 cm thick projects upwards from a roughly 9 x 4.5 x 5 cm matrix entirely encrusted with creamy white saddle shaped blades of Dolomite. The Baryte crystal is largely translucent, becoming more transparent towards its pale yellow coloured tip. Characteristic of Baryte from these west Cumbrian mines, the tabular blade is internally patterned by intersecting cleavage planes, forming a patchwork of slightly varying shades of smoky teal-sky blue. The specimen is accompanied with a custom milled acrylic base, 9 cm diameter by 1.8 cm deep. A superb blue Baryte on Dolomite from Mowbray mine, West Cumbria.