Barite

specimen number:
2013632

location:
West Green Mine, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA

description:

Lustrous cream-colored crystals of barite to 3.0 cm in size coming off matrix. This is in super condition. At one time part of the collection of Howard Burlinger.

The West Green Mine, located in the Cave-in-Rock District of Hardin County, Illinois, was a notable underground operation within the prolific Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District. Geologically, it exploited Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) bedded replacement deposits where mineralizing fluids moved through the Mississippian-aged Spar Mountain Member of the Ste. Genevieve Limestone. While the mine was a producer of high-grade fluorite, it gained significant fame for its exceptional barite specimens, which often occurred as creamy white to translucent, bladed crystal clusters or as distinct "rose" formations. These barite crystals frequently formed as a late-stage mineralizing event, perching on or intergrowing with cubes of purple or yellow fluorite and metallic sulfides like galena and sphalerite. Historically, the mine was operated by the Ozark-Mahoning Company during the mid to late 20th century, with its most active production years spanning from the 1960s through the 1980s. Today, the mine is closed and the site reclaimed, but it remains a classic locality for collectors who prize the sharp contrast between the snowy white barite blades and the vibrant colorful fluorite for which the district is world-renowned.

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