Detailed information
Dimensions
82 x 96 x 60
mm
Locality
Blackdene Mine Weardale, County Durham England
Condition
No recorded repairs
This quite weighty-specimen of Calcite covering Galena is from Blackdene mine by the village of Ireshopeburn in Weardale, County Durham. It is a superb example of well crystallized Blackdene Calcite and one which will stand out once displayed, instead of its usual roll in playing underdog to fluorite! The translucent, milky-white Calcite forms highly flatted rhombs with three-pointed star (Mercedes-style) symmetry. These become almost circular and measure up to 2.5 cm in diameter. Each highly lustrous face is covered with micro-stepped rhombic growth patterns. The Calcite almost entirely hides a large distorted Galena crystal beneath, some faces of which show below where the Calcite crystals end. A magnificent Calcite on bright metallic grey-silver Galena from Weardale.
