Witherite with Alstonite

specimen number:
1052298

location:
Hexham, Northumberland, England, UK

description:
Witherite was first discovered in the late 1700s near Hexham in Northumberland, England, particularly at the Fallowfield Mine. The mineral was recognized as barium carbonate and later named witherite in honor of William Withering in 1790. The Hexham area became the classic locality for the species, producing white to pale gray crystalline masses and nodules from lead mining veins in Carboniferous limestone, and it remains historically important as the type area for the mineral. This current example is absolutely wonderful with translucent semi lustrous crystals to 3.5 cm in size across the top of matrix. The matrix is coated with small crystals of colorless alstonite. This is in excellent condition. The piece sits perfectly by itself or display. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video. The label states that previously the specimen was in the collection of Wilhelm Hoyer. Wilhelm Christoph Hoyer (1826 to 1897) was a German mineral collector in the 19th century known for maintaining an extensive personal mineral collection and regarded as an authority in mineralogy in his region around Oldenburg, Germany.

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