Barite

specimen number:
2102314

location:
Paliokamariza mines, Plaka, Lavreotiki, Attica, Greece

description:
Attractive lustrous red bladed crystals of barite to 0.7 cm in size across the front of matrix. The red color is due to inclusions of hematite. Classic material for the species and locality, this is in good condition.

The Plaka District, located within the Lavrion Mining District in Attica, Greece, is a world-renowned mineralogical area situated in a complex geological setting of the Attic-Cycladic Massif. Geologically, the deposit formed as a result of Miocene-age granodiorite intrusions into carbonate and schist layers, creating extensive skarn and hydrothermal replacement zones. The locality is famous for its distinctive red barite, which gains its vibrant coloration from microscopic inclusions of hematite or iron oxides. These specimens typically appear as tabular, bladed crystals or rosettes, often found in the oxidized zones alongside other secondary minerals like smithsonite and fluorite. Historically, mining and quarrying in the Plaka area date back to the 3rd millennium BC, with intense activity during the Classical Period of Athens for silver and lead. Modern industrial operations began in the mid-19th century, around 1864, under the Compagnie Francaise des Mines du Laurium, and continued through various phases of extraction for lead, zinc, and iron ores. While most commercial underground and surface quarrying operations ceased by the late 1970s and early 1980s, the mine dumps and accessible shafts remain an essential site for collectors seeking these iconic red barium sulfate specimens.

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