Barite

specimen number:
5008125

location:
Concesion Beltraneja, Cortijuelo mines, Bacares, Almeria, Spain

description:
Nice cluster of colorless bladed barite crystals.

The Cortijuelo mines, including Concesion Beltraneja near Bacares in the Sierra de los Filabres of Almeria, Spain, form part of a historic mining district that developed significantly around the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Geologically, the area is characterized by the complex metamorphic rocks of the Betic Cordillera, where extensive iron ore deposits formed within the regional schist and carbonate formations. Historically, industrial scale extraction at these properties was largely driven by British capital, notably operated by The Bacares Iron Ore Mines Limited (frequently referred to locally as The English). The operations relied on advanced aerial cableways to transport extracted iron ore across the rugged mountain terrain down to railway connections for export, continuing active production through the mid-20th century before operations eventually ceased.

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