Barite

specimen number:
2063831

location:
Lamb Mine, Morgan Co., Missouri, USA

description:
Collected in the early 1990s, a loose transparent semi lustrous colorless terminated crystal of barite. This is in great condition. Collected by Glenn Williams and Hal Prior.

The Lamb Mine, situated in Morgan County, Missouri, sits within the historic Central Missouri Barite District, a region renowned for its low-temperature hydrothermal mineralization. Hosted in deeply weathered Paleozoic limestones and dolomites, the deposit formed as barium-rich fluids filled solution cavities, fractures, and residual clays. Mining in this area initially focused on lead during the nineteenth century before shifting to heavy commercial barite extraction in the early-to-mid twentieth century. For mineral collectors, the Lamb Mine is famous for producing outstanding specimens of barite featuring colorless, transparent to translucent crystals that are sometimes slightly reddish due to iron oxide staining. While active mining operations have long since ceased, specimens from the Lamb Mine remain prized in classic American mineral collecting for their sharp crystal habit and distinct local appearance.

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