Fluorite

specimen number:
2102133

location:
Blackdene Mine, Weardale, Co. Durham, England, UK

description:
Classic British specimen with gemmy glassy purple crystals of fluorite measuring to 0.5 cm in size covering one side of matrix. In good condition. Some of the crystals exhibit penetration twinning.

The Blackdene Mine, located in Weardale, County Durham, England, is part of the Northern Pennine Orefield, a region long known for its lead and associated mineral deposits. Mining activity at Blackdene dates back to the 19th century and focused primarily on the extraction of galena from hydrothermal veins cutting through limestone and sandstone host rocks. The mine is also well known among collectors for producing a variety of secondary minerals, including fluorite, calcite, and baryte, often occurring in well formed crystals within open cavities. Although mining operations declined and eventually ceased as economic conditions changed, the Blackdene Mine remains an important historical and mineralogical locality within Weardale.

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