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Baryte & Fluorite

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LMB170998

Baryte & Fluorite

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Description
Locality: 
Lime Crest Quarry, Sparta Township, Sussex County, New Jersey, United States of America
Size Range: 
Miniature (4.5-7 cm)
Size: 
2.8 × 4.3 × 5.3 cm
Description

This is a deliberately small (i.e. mailable) sample of snow white platy barite with purple fluorite and very minor yellow “cleiophane”. Nothing is terminated or well formed.

So what’s interesting about it and why would anyone want it? Well, it seems to be from an extremely unusual – for Franklin marble - “Mississippi Valley” type occurrence. This material was found by staff of the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in November of 1992. In all the times that I collected at Limecrest, I never saw anything remotely like this.

Moreover, the barite fluoresces a fairly bright white. So if you are a “Franklin” fluorescent collection you need to have one of these. (But it is true that Limecrest is not strictly speaking within the “Franklin Mining District”.)

Note: The UV photo shows some blue as well, but nothing that bright is apparent to the naked eye – at least not with my source. Possibly the blue is coming from the fluorite. The sphalerite has no apparent fluorescence. All of the barite fluoresces. The brightest part is shown in the photo.

Weight 3.1 oz.

Mineral Data
What's on the rock

Baryte

Formula: 
BaSO4
Strunz: 
7.AD.35
Hardness: 
3.0 - 3.5
Streak: 
White

Fluorite

Formula: 
CaF2
Strunz: 
3.AB.25
Crystal System: 
Isometric
Hardness: 
4.0
Streak: 
White
Type Locality: 
Jáchymov (St Joachimsthal), Jáchymov District (St Joachimsthal), Krušné Hory Mts (Erzgebirge), Karlovy Vary Region, Bohemia (Böhmen; Boehmen), Czech Republic
LMB minerals

Seller Information

Payment options: offline, paypal_wpp, paypal_wps

Seller's terms and conditions

In addition to the standard terms and conditions, please note the following. Almost all IDs are visual. While in most cases the ID is obvious, there may be cases where it is not. If you are doubtful about a particular ID, please ask for more information. Or do not bid! Similarly, if you are not sure that the specimen meets your criteria, do not bid. I have tdone the best I can with the photos. Nevertheless, if you are not happy with a specimen for any reason, I will refund the bid price – but not the shipping costs (unless the fault is clearly mine) – if the specimen is returned. This policy applies even if analysis of the specimen shows that my ID was incorrect. When in doubt, ask - or don’t bid. Note that most crystals at MSH and Varennes are micros - even if on large specimens. Please pay attention to the stated sizes. Any customs duties, fees etc. are the responsibility of the buyer.

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