Fluorite with Quartz, Galena

specimen number:
1052490

location:
Alston Moor, Cumbria, England, UK

description:
Light purple lustrous mostly gemmy crystals of fluorite measuring to 2.5 cm on edge covering the top of matrix. These are then mostly covered by glistening crystals of colorless quartz. This is in good condition with very minimal micro-damage present. Galena present as well. This piece comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video and dates to the 19th century. At one time part of the collection of Wilhelm Hoyer.

Alston Moor in Cumbria, England, is one of the most important historic mining districts in Britain, with activity dating back to at least Roman times and continuing through the 18th and 19th centuries. The region is characterized by hydrothermal vein deposits hosted in Carboniferous limestone and associated sedimentary rocks, where mineralizing fluids introduced lead, zinc, and other metals into fractures and fault zones. Extensive underground workings were developed to exploit rich galena ore, making the area a major source of lead during its peak. The district is also well known for its mineral specimens, including fluorite, calcite, and witherite, which formed in open cavities within the veins. Mining declined in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as ore reserves were depleted and economic conditions changed, but Alston Moor remains a classic locality for both mining history and mineralogy.

Wilhelm Hoyer was a 19th century German mineral collector and dealer who was active during a period when systematic mineral collecting and scientific study were expanding across Europe. He handled and distributed mineral specimens from important mining regions such as the Harz Mountains and the Erzgebirge of Saxony.

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