Barite

specimen number:
2312020

location:
Baia Sprie, Maramures Co., Romania

description:
Sparkling bladed crystals of barite measuring to almost 2.0 cm in size across the top of matrix. Minor inclusions of realgar are present. This is in very good condition.

The town of Baia Sprie, located in Maramures County, Romania, is situated within the volcanic chain of the Gutai Mountains in the Carpathian region. The local geology is characterized by Neogene calc-alkaline volcanic formations that host complex hydrothermal polymetallic veins rich in gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. Mining activity in the area dates back to the medieval period, with written records of extraction starting in 1329 when the settlement was granted privileges as a royal mining center. For centuries, operations on Mine Hill and surrounding subterranean networks made it one of the most productive metal extraction hubs in the region. The mines also became widely recognized for diverse hydrothermal mineral specimens, including various sulfides and sulfosalts, before industrial operations concluded in the early twenty-first century.

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