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CC28371

WITHERITE with ALSTONITE

WITHERITE with ALSTONITE

CUSTOM STAND INCLUDED

Size:
80 x 57 x 48 mm
Weight:
212 g
Regular price $9,500.00 USD
Regular price Sale price $9,500.00 USD
Sale Sold out
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Detailed information

Species Witherite, Alstonite
Dimensions 80 x 57 x 48 mm
Weight 212 g
Locality Fallowfield Mine, Acomb Hexham, Tyne Valley Northumberland, England
Condition No recorded repairs
Custom Stand Yes - custom stand included
The rare barium carbonate Witherite, the barium analogue of Strontianite, is certainly considered a Classic Mineral of Northern England. Its early history is a complicated one. Originally thought to have been found at Alston Moor during the 1780s, it turned out that the Type Material analysed by William Withering was in fact from Anglezarke in Lancashire, but that false locality details had been provided to protect the supply! Later, in the early 1800s, Witherite was discovered at Alston Moor at Wellhope Head, in well-formed pseudohexgonal tabular crystals. However, finds of an entirely different crystal form, as geometrically perfect, twinned pyramidal and bipyramidal crystals made at Fallowfield mine, near Hexam in Northumberland in the 1820s set a totally new standard for the species - one which has stood the test of time. This superb small cabinet specimen was labelled by its previous owners as from Alston Moor, but it is absolutely classic Fallowfield mine, right down to the association with tiny Alstonite crystals. It is an extremely fine example, displaying four magnificent, doubly-terminated Witherite crystals, the two largest measuring 3.5 cm in length and another to 3.3 cm. Each crystal is translucent and with a flat, earthy textured white surface coating. The terminations to most of the crystals are in very good condition. To add to the splendour of this specimen, dozens of sharp, scalenohedral (dog-tooth) Alstonite crystals surround the Witherite. Alstonite, although named after Alston Moor, has Co-Type Localities, one of which is Fallowfield mine. This is a gorgeous example of Witherite from Fallowfield mine which comes with its own custom made acrylic base with milled recess and backing supports. The earliest accompanying label is from a German institutional collection and appears to date to the latter part of the 19th century.

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I bought a specimen but it is not what I expected or was damaged in transit. Can I return the specimen?

Inevitably, sometimes things don't go as expected. Whether the specimen is damaged in transit or the identity is incorrect, we are aware that this can result in the return of a specimen.If your specimen is damaged during shipping, it is vitally important to take a photo of the packaging and specimen in situ. By recording this, we get an idea of the nature and possible reason behind the damage and will be able to process the return much faster.If you discover that the mineral species has been misidentified, we require details of the method of identification in order to understand why you believe this to be the case. If the identity is in question but no formal analysis has been attempted, Crystal Classics will assess the situation on a case-by-case basis. In some instances, this may mean the specimen is sent for analysis to determine the identity.In any scenario where a specimen is analysed and the species in question is not present on the specimen, we will provide a full refund.If you feel that the specimen was misrepresented in any way, please ensure you make contact with us within the 30 day grace period for resolution.In all instances, please ensure that you call or e-mail us immediately, prior to the return of a specimen to Crystal Classics, so that we can advise regarding the returns procedure. Failure to contact us prior to the return of a specimen may lead to the rejection of your return.Shipping costs of all returns are to be covered by the customer, unless the specimen was damaged in transit or if the identity is incorrect.