Barite

specimen number:
1655515

location:
Clara Mine, Oberwolfach, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

description:
Tabular translucent lustrous crystals of barite to 3.5 cm are in size across the top of matrix. Some damage present as seen, still nice for this classic European locality.

The Clara Mine, located near Wolfach in the Black Forest of Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, is one of the most famous mineral localities in Europe due to its incredible species diversity. Geologically, it is a hydrothermal vein deposit hosted within the basement rocks of the Central Black Forest, specifically consisting of barite and fluorite veins that formed during the Triassic and Jurassic periods. These veins cross-cut older gneisses and are part of a complex fault system that allowed mineral-rich fluids to deposit a vast array of primary and secondary minerals, including rare copper, lead, and silver arsenates. Historically, mining in the Rankach Valley area has occurred intermittently for centuries, but the modern industrial era of the Clara Mine began in 1898. It has been operated for over a century, primarily by the company Sachtleben Bergbau, and remains an active producer of industrial barite and fluorite today. The mine is legendary among mineralogists for having over 400 documented mineral species, and while the underground workings are closed to the public, the mine operators maintain a designated mineral collecting area at the nearby processing plant in Wolfach where collectors can search through fresh ore material.

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