-
Anatase
Twll Maen Grisial, Prenteg, Gwynedd, Wales, UK
crystal 4mm (Author: ian jones)
Anatase
Twll Maen Grisial, Prenteg
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Anglesite
Mona Mine, Parys Mountain, Amlwch, Anglesey, Wales, UK
Anglesite crystals to 10mm.
From the type locality and very good for the location. Ex Dr T B Wilson (1807-1865) and William S Vaux (1811-82) Collections from the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences Collection.
Collected c1790 when the mine worked through the gossan. (Author: ian jones)
Anglesite
Mona Mine, Parys Mountai
-
Another, but much coarser, wire copper from Botallack 3x2". (Author: ian jones)
Another, but much coarser, wire c
-
Apatite
Colcerrow Quarry, Lanlivey, Cornwall, England, UK
Crystal 13mm (Author: ian jones)
Apatite
Colcerrow Quarry, Lanlivey
-
Arthurite and olivenite
Hingston Down Consols, Gunnislake, Cornwall, England, UK
55x45mm. (Author: ian jones)
Arthurite and olivenite
Hingston D
-
Baryte
Blaengwynlais Quarry, Cardiff, South Wales, UK
Baryte crystals to 35mm (Author: ian jones)
Baryte
Blaengwynlais Quarry, Cardi
-
Baryte
Frizington, Cumbria, England, UK
main crystal 8cm (Author: ian jones)
Baryte
Frizington, Cumbria, Englan
-
Baryte
Frizington, Cumbria, England, UK
main crystal 8cm (Author: ian jones)
Baryte
Frizington, Cumbria, Englan
-
Baryte
Frizington, Cumbria, England, UK
Baryte crystals, typically 5cm, selectively coloured red by included hematite. From an unlocated iron mine in the Frizington area. Specimen 14x12 cm (Author: ian jones)
Baryte
Frizington, Cumbria, Englan
-
Baryte
Mowbray Mine, Frizington, Cumbria, England, UK (Author: ian jones)
Baryte
Mowbray Mine, Frizington, C
-
Baryte
Oakdale Colliery, Oakdale, Caerphilly, Wales, UK
Baryte crystals to 15mm, on siderite - these are large for the coalfield. Collected April 1997 (Author: ian jones)
Baryte
Oakdale Colliery, Oakdale,
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Bertrandite
Hingston Down Quarry, Gunnislake, Calstock, Cornwall, England, UK (Author: ian jones)
Bertrandite
Hingston Down Quarry,
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Bournonite
Wheal Boys, Port Isaac, St. Endellion, Cornwall, England, UK
Intergrown bournonite crystals to 4mm, with small crystals of sphalerite. Sphalerite and jamesonite crystals on rear (Author: ian jones)
Bournonite
Wheal Boys, Port Isaac,
-
Bournonite cogwheel 30mm across, on quartz. This is part of a larger specimen, and is the largest crystal. (Author: ian jones)
Bournonite cogwheel 30mm across, o
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Bustamite
Meldon Quarry, Oakhampton, Devon. England, UK
90x50mm (Author: ian jones)
Bustamite
Meldon Quarry, Oakhampto
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Calcite
Blaengwynlais Quarry, Bwlch-y-cwm, Cardiff, Wales, UK
120mm calcite crystal showing different growth phases, the latter white calcite partially coating an earlier crystal darkened by ironstaining. Collected 1979. (Author: ian jones)
Calcite
Blaengwynlais Quarry, Bwlc
-
Calcite
Croft Quarry, Croft, Leicestershire, England, UK (Author: ian jones)
Calcite
Croft Quarry, Croft, Leice
-
Calcite
Hampstead Farm Quarry, Chipping Sodbury, Gloustershire, England, UK (Author: ian jones)
Calcite
Hampstead Farm Quarry, Chi
-
Calcite
Pallaflat Mine, Bigrigg, Cumbria, England, UK
55mm calcite crystal and associated old label. Ex Robert Ferguson (1767-1840) collection (Author: ian jones)
Calcite
Pallaflat Mine, Bigrigg, C
-
Calcite
Pallaflat Mine, Bigrigg, Cumbria, England, UK
90x70mm calcite twin. Ian Jones collection, ex Richard Barstow collection Ex Richard (Dick) Barstow (1947–1982) collection. Probably traded by Dick from the Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow (Author: ian jones)
Calcite
Pallaflat Mine, Bigrigg, C
-
Calcite
Pallaflat Mine, Bigrigg, Cumbria, England, UK
Clear calcite crystals to 55mm. Ex Richard (Dick) Barstow (1947–1982) collection. Probably traded by Dick from the Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow (Author: ian jones)
Calcite
Pallaflat Mine, Bigrigg, C
-
Calcite
Pallaflat Mine, Bigrigg, Cumbria, England, Uk
Group of calcite crystals, typically 35mm (Author: ian jones)
Calcite
Pallaflat Mine, Bigrigg, C
-
Calcite
Pallaflat Mine, Bigrigg, Cumbria, England, UK
Group af calcite crystals, typically 20-25mm (Author: ian jones)
Calcite
Pallaflat Mine, Bigrigg, C
-
Calcite
Taff’s Well Quarry, Taff’s Well, Cardiff, Wales, UK
Calcite 6cm, collected 1981.
I was pleasantly surprised to open a copy of the calcite edition of Extra Lapis and see this photo used as an example of twinning. (Author: ian jones)
Calcite
Taff’s Well Quarry,
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Calcite
Torr Works Quarry, Cranmore, Somerset, England, UK
globular aggregates to 8mm (Author: ian jones)
Calcite
Torr Works Quarry, Cranmor
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Calcite and goethite
Blaengwynlais Quarry, Bwlch-y-cwm, Cardiff, Wales, UK
Goethite pseudomorphing a 20mm pyrite crystal grown on a somewhat weathered calcite crystal. The goethite, clearly contemporaneous with the calcite, is loose within the cavity and can be removed and replaced.
Having seen and collected numerous goethite pseudomorphs from Blaengwynlais Quarry, I have never seen a remotely similar specimen from this location. (Author: ian jones)
Calcite and goethite
Blaengwynlais
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Cassiterite
Great Work Mine, Breage, Cornwall, England, UK.
largest crystal 6mm.
This Cornish cassiterite was once in the Freiberg mining Academy in Saxony, Germany (its label dates it there to between 1880-1905). From Freiberg it made its way to Chile’s national Museum, the Museo de Santiago.
Rescued by Skip Szenics in the late 1900s, he brought it back to New York in the USA. In 2002, he brought it down to Tucson, from whence I repatriated it back to the UK.
This is a well-travelled tin!
Located only as Cornwall on the Freiberg label, this specimen has been compared to others in the Natural History Museum Collection in London. Its matrix and composition matches those in the Russell Collection from Great Work Mine in Breage. (Author: ian jones)
Cassiterite
Great Work Mine, Breag
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Cassiterite
Lee Moor China Clay Pit, Shaugh Prior, Devon, England, UK
55mm across
Banded cassiterite, variety "wood tin" on quartz (Author: ian jones)
Cassiterite
Lee Moor China Clay Pi
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Cassiterite
Wheal Coates, St. Agnes, Cornwall, England, UK
Cassiterite
Wheal Coates, St. Agnes, Cornwall, England, UK
Complex cassiterite pseudomorph after orthoclase feldspar, 30mm. These were collected c1828. (Author: ian jones)
Cassiterite
Wheal Coates, St. Agne
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Cerussite
Pentireglaze Mine, Polzeath, St. Minver, Cornwall, England, UK
Jackstraw cerussite crystals, 55mm max, elsewhere typically 20mm. Collected in the early 1990s. (Author: ian jones)
Cerussite
Pentireglaze Mine, Polze
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Chalcedony
Pednandrea Mine, Redruth, Cornwall, England, UK
115mm across
An old tin mine, Pednandrea was already active in the early 18th century. The final period of working occurred between 1854 to 1891. The mine is known for having produced fine specimens of chalcedony (Author: ian jones)
Chalcedony
Pednandrea Mine, Redrut
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Chloroxiphite
Torr Works Quarry, Cranmore, Somerset, England, UK
25mm blade of green chloroxiphite in orange mereheadite with pale pink mendipite (Author: ian jones)
Chloroxiphite
Torr Works Quarry, C
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Copper
Botallack Mine, St Just, Cornwall,England, UK
3x2"
Ex Col Williams - Burncoose Assay Office Collection. Williams collection number 112. Although attributed to "probably Wh Basset" by Williams, the specimen came from the Bolitho collection (the Bolithos were a well known Penzance mining family and operated the largest tin smelting house in Cornwall during the 19th century and until 1912), so the specimen is much more likely to be from one of the St. Just mines.
Specifically, the specimen is like other wire coppers from Botallack Mine and thus possibly dates to c1804 when other specimens of this type were collected. (Author: ian jones)
Copper
Botallack Mine, St Just, Co
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Cuprite var chalcotrichite
Fowey Consols, Tywardreath, St. Austell, Cornwall, England, UK
Copy of Talling Invoice showing that this specimen was purchased for the sun of £1 10s in 1864 (Author: ian jones)
Cuprite var chalcotrichite
Fowey C
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Cuprite var chalcotrichite
Fowey Consols, Tywardreath, St. Austell, Cornwall, England, UK
Talling number 2009 on side of specimen (Author: ian jones)
Cuprite var chalcotrichite
Fowey C
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Cuprite var chalcotrichite
Fowey Consols, Tywardreath, St. Austell, Cornwall, England, UK
this cavity 20x12 (Author: ian jones)
Cuprite var chalcotrichite
Fowey C
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Cuprite, var chalcotrichite
Fowey Consols, Tywardreath, St. Austell, Cornwall, England, UK
Chalcotrichite with goethite in quartz, overall specimen 70x70mm. Ex Natural History Museum collection, purchased from mineral dealer Richard Talling at a cost of £1 10s in 1864 (Author: ian jones)
Cuprite, var chalcotrichite
Fowey
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Diaboleite
Blades of olive-green chloroxiphite covering a 17x20mm area, with 1-2mm blebs of sky-blue diaboleite and pink mendipite. (Author: ian jones)
Diaboleite
Blades of olive-green c
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Dickite
Pant-y-Gaseg Mine, Amlwch, Isle of Anglesey, Wales, UK
Specimen 50mm across (Author: ian jones)
Dickite
Pant-y-Gaseg Mine, Amlwch,
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Fluorite
Beaumont Mine, Allenheads
80x40mm
(Author: ian jones)
Fluorite
Beaumont Mine, Allenheads
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Fluorite
Bere Alston, Bere Ferrers, Tavistock, Devon, England, UK
Crystals to 20 mm
A fluorite with much history, from an unnamed Bere Alston mine.
This specimen, with crystals to 20mm, was probably collected in the early 1800s. It had been owned by three people who had minerals named after them and was once on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Originally in the collection of Clarence Bement (1846-1923) , for whom bementite is named, his collection, said to be "the finest collection of minerals ever made" was purchased in 1900 by financier J.P. Morgan (beryl var morganite) and donated to the AMNH. There is a black arrow on the underside (painted on all display specimens) to guide staff in what the then curator, Louis Gratacrap, believed was the correct orientation for display.
Traded out of the AMNH, the specimen was subsequently in the collection of Dr Richard Hauck (hauckite).
An identical but larger specimen was included in the partial disposition of the Philadelphia Academy Collection suggesting that they formed part of a single pocket. (Author: ian jones)
Fluorite
Bere Alston, Bere Ferrers
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Fluorite
Boltsburn Mine, Rookhope Valley, Co Durham, England, UK 50mm
50mm (Author: ian jones)
Fluorite
Boltsburn Mine, Rookhope
-
Fluorite
Boltsburn Mine, Rookhope Valley, County Durham, England, UK (Author: ian jones)
Fluorite
Boltsburn Mine, Rookhope
-
Fluorite
Diana Vein, Beaumont Mine, Allanheads
120x75mm
(Author: ian jones)
Fluorite
Diana Vein, Beaumont Mine
-
Fluorite
Florence Mine, Egremont, Cumbria, England, |UK
Blue 25mm fluorite crystal with baryte, on dolomite. (Author: ian jones)
Fluorite
Florence Mine, Egremont,
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Fluorite
Frazer’s Hush Mine, Rookhope Valley, County Durham, England, UK
47x35mm (Author: ian jones)
Fluorite
Frazer’s Hush Mine,
-
Fluorite
Frazer’s Hush Mine, Rookhope Valley, County Durham, England, UK
largest crystal 25x20mm (Author: ian jones)
Fluorite
Frazer’s Hush Mine,
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Fluorite
Ladywash Mine, Eyam, Derbyshire, England, UK
Fluorite crystals to 25mm, speckled, and included with, small chalcopyrite and pyrite crystals, plus calcite crystals to 15mm.
Ex Arthur Scoble collection, collected circa 1980. (Author: ian jones)
Fluorite
Ladywash Mine, Eyam, Derb
-
Fluorite
Middlehope Shield Mine, Westgate, Weardale, Co. Durham, England, UK
11x8 cm (Author: ian jones)
Fluorite
Middlehope Shield Mine, W
-
Fluorite
Middlehope Shield Mine, Westgate, County Durham, England, UK
Typical Middlehope piece, largest crystal 25mm (Author: ian jones)
Fluorite
Middlehope Shield Mine, W
-
Fluorite
Trevaunance mine, St Agnes, Cornwall, England, UK
Crystals to 7mm (Author: ian jones)
Fluorite
Trevaunance mine, St Agne
-
Freiberg Mining Academy label, its style dates it to between 1880-1905 (Author: ian jones)
Freiberg Mining Academy label, its
-
Galena
Wheal Hope, Hendra Croft, Perranzabuloe, Cornwall, England, UK
Galena pseudomorphing pyromorphite, typical crystal size 5mm. Ex Arthur Scoble collection. (Author: ian jones)
Galena
Wheal Hope, Hendra Croft, P
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Gold
Hope’s Nose, Torquay, Devon, UK
Bright dendritic gold, main spray 35mm across, etched from the enclosing calcite (Author: ian jones)
Gold
Hope’s Nose, Torquay, D
-
Hematite
Geevor Mine, Pendeen, St Just, Cornwall, England, UK
Botryoidal hematite on quartz, 100x70mm, from Geevor, the "mine under the sea". Ex Richard Barstow collection. (Author: ian jones)
Hematite
Geevor Mine, Pendeen, St
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Hematite
Wheal Owles, Botallack, St. Just, Cornwall, England, UK
Specular hematite crystals, typically 2-3mm, on quartz. 19th C specimen, ex Lt Col Williams (Burncoose Assay Office) collection. (Author: ian jones)
Hematite
Wheal Owles, Botallack, S
-
Hemimorphite
Roughton Gill Mine, Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, UK
60x50x25mm (Author: ian jones)
Hemimorphite
Roughton Gill Mine, C
-
Herodsfoot Mine, Lanreath, Cornwall, England, UK
10mm tetrahedrite crystals coated with iridescent chalcopyrite, with associated galena and quartz. (Author: ian jones)
Herodsfoot Mine, Lanreath, Cornwal
-
Highdown Quarry, Filleigh, Devon, England, UK.
Radiating balls of wavellite crystals to 12mm diameter. Collected in 1979 (Author: ian jones)
Highdown Quarry, Filleigh, Devon,
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Kaolinite
North Goonbarrow China Clay Pit, Bugle, Cornwall, England, UK
Kaolinite replacing othoclase feldspar, 60mm. These are known colloquially as a "pig’s egg" (Author: ian jones)
Kaolinite
North Goonbarrow China C
-
label (Author: ian jones)
label
-
Linarite
Roughten Gill Mine, Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, England, UK
Linarite crystals, typically 1cm. (Author: ian jones)
Linarite
Roughten Gill Mine, Caldb
-
Malachite
Cannington Park Quarry, Cannington, Somerset, England, UK
10x8mm area of curved, acicular malachite (Author: ian jones)
Malachite
Cannington Park Quarry,
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Millerite
Coed Ely Colliery, Coed Ely, Rhondda-Cynon-Taff, Wales, UK
Spray of bright millerite crystals to 15mm with a small ball of transparent red hydrocarbon at the centre. Collected April 1996 (Author: ian jones)
Millerite
Coed Ely Colliery, Coed
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Millerite
Deep Navitation Colliery, Treharris, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, UK
longest crystal 27mm
Greenish, oxydised millerite sprays, with one crystal totally covered with elongated galena crystals, on siderite within an ironstone cavity. Siegenite crystal, 0.5mm to the left of the millerite. collected August 1995. (Author: ian jones)
Millerite
Deep Navitation Colliery
-
Millerite
Ferndale 8&9 Pits, Ferndale, Rhondda, Cynon, Taff, Wales, UK
Millerite, main spray 22mm.
The green alteration has often been described as morenosite, but analysis at the National Museum of Wales on a number of specimens failed to find it, returning at best a mixture. Morenosite is a yet unproven in the S Wales coalfield.
However, analysis of a particularly rich example from Llanbradach Colliery by my friend Prof. Pete Williams at the University of Western Sydney showed this, at least, to be nicklehehahydrite. (Author: ian jones)
Millerite
Ferndale 8&9 Pits, F
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Millerite and Siderite
Ferndale Pits, Tylorstown, Rhondda-Cynon-Taff, Wales, UK
crystals to 20mm
Radiating spray of free-standing millerite crystals to 20mm, on siderite. This came out of a huge block of ironstone and then took a bit of getting back in one piece! Collected 1990. (Author: ian jones)
Millerite and Siderite
Ferndale Pi
-
Mimetite
Dry Gill Mine, Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, England, UK
Dark green mimetite balls to 10mm with a secondary coating of lighter green pyromorphite? (Author: ian jones)
Mimetite
Dry Gill Mine, Caldbeck F
-
Mimetite
Dry Gill Mine, Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, England, UK
Brown mimetite balls to 12mm on botryoidal manganese (hollandite?) with associated white baryte (Author: ian jones)
Mimetite
Dry Gill Mine, Caldbeck F
-
Mimetite
Wheal Unity, St Day, Cornwall, England, UK
crystals to 20mm, on quartz (Author: ian jones)
Mimetite
Wheal Unity, St Day, Corn
-
Nicely zoned baryte, largest crystal 6cm. Purchased Munich 1988.
Ex E Mitchell Gunnell collection no 153. Rear of the Gunnell label notes that the specimen was "purchased on June 27 1953, from D. O. Thorpe who, with partner, had purchased the John Rohner Collection, Idaho Springs, Colorado, from George Van Der Vere, curio store owner" and gives the "pro-rata cost, as $5". Prices have drifted upward since! (Author: ian jones)
Nicely zoned baryte, largest cryst
-
Pant-y Gaseg adit, driven c1860. The adit crops out half way down a cliff and is very well hidden. Photo taken 8 July 2009. (Author: ian jones)
Pant-y Gaseg adit, driven c1860. T
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Paracelsian
Bennalt mine, Lleyn Peninsular, Caernarvonshire, Wales, uk
Exceptional group of paracelsian crystals - the large doubly terminated crystal is 50mm. Ex collection Natural History Museum, London.
Specimen obtained by the Natural History Museum from Sir Arthur Russell in 1941, who in turn obtained it from G.J. Williams, the former Assistant Inspector for Metalliferous Mines and Quarries for the North Wales and Ireland Division. Specimen originally collected in 1919. (Author: ian jones)
Paracelsian
Bennalt mine, Lleyn Pe
-
Paralaurionite
Yellow paralaurionite 25x15mm (Author: ian jones)
Paralaurionite
Yellow paralaurioni
-
Pharmacosiderite
Hemerdon Bal Mine, Plympton, Devon, England, UK
Pharmacosiderite crystal 5x4mm.
This is very large for the UK. It was found when the locality was reworked for scorodite specimens in 2006. (Author: ian jones)
Pharmacosiderite
Hemerdon Bal Mine
-
Quartz
Dare Colliery, Cwmparc, Rhondda-Cynon-Taff, Wales, UK
Quartz crystal, 40mm, on siderite, collected October 1992 (Author: ian jones)
Quartz
Dare Colliery, Cwmparc, Rho
-
Quartz
Egremont, Cumbria, England, Uk
Smoky quartz crystals to 35mm on dolomite and specular hematite.
From an unlocated west Cumbria iron mine, but an almost unreadable part label on the rear shows what appears to be Egremont and then certainly Cle... of Cleator Moor. Association typical of specimens from Egremont’s Florence-Beckermet Mine. (Author: ian jones)
Quartz
Egremont, Cumbria, England,
-
rear of specimen (Author: ian jones)
rear of specimen
-
Schorl
Woolley Farm, Bovey Tracey, Dartmoor & Teign Valley District, Devon, England, UK
45 mm
A British classic, schorl tourmaline from Woolley Farm.
These tourmalines were collected between about 1810-20 (Author: ian jones)
Schorl
Woolley Farm, Bovey Tracey
-
Siderite
Virtuous Lady Mine, Buckland Monachorum, Tavistock, Devon, England, UK
Siderite cast after barite, 100mm, a form colloquially known as a lady’s slipper. Probably collected circa 1832-33. (Author: ian jones)
Siderite
Virtuous Lady Mine, Buckl
-
Siderite and quartz
Wheal Maudlin, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, England, UK
siderite crystals to 12mm (Author: ian jones)
Siderite and quartz
Wheal Maudlin,
-
Siegenite
Gelli Colliery, Gelli, Rhonnda-Cynon-Taff, Wales, UK
Platy siegenite crystal 6mm across, with smaller octahedral siegenite crystals scattered around it. This is huge for the south Wales Coalfield and, to my knowledge, much the largest found in the UK. Identification confirmed at the National Museum of Wales. Collected August 1988. (Author: ian jones)
Siegenite
Gelli Colliery, Gelli, R
-
Silver
Wheal Ludcott, St. Ive, Liskeard, Cornwall, England, UK
Coarse wire silver, maximum wire length 10mm, with crude calcite crystals. (Author: ian jones)
Silver
Wheal Ludcott, St. Ive, Lis
-
Sphalerite and marcasite
Hampstead Farm Quarry, Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England, UK
banded sphaleite and marcasite with barite, specimen 85mm across. (Author: ian jones)
Sphalerite and marcasite
Hampstead
-
stibnite
Wheal Boys, Port Isaac, St Endellion, Cornwall, England, UK
45x35mm group of coarse stibnite crystals. Stibnite is a rare Cornish mineral and even more rarely occurs crystallised.
19th C specimen (Author: ian jones)
stibnite
Wheal Boys, Port Isaac, S
-
Topaz
V.C. Quarry, Lundy Island, Devon, England, UK
Pale, bluish topaz crystals to 6mm with orthoclase and smoky quartz. Collected 1996. (Author: ian jones)
Topaz
V.C. Quarry, Lundy Island, D
-
Variscite
Variscite balls, 2mm diameter. Ex Arthur Scoble collection. (Author: ian jones)
Variscite
Variscite balls, 2mm dia
-
Vivianite
Wheal Owles, Botallack, St. Just, Cornwall, England, UK
label on rear (Author: ian jones)
Vivianite
Wheal Owles, Botallack,
-
Vivianite
Wheal Owles, Botallack, St. Just, Cornwall, Englan, UK
Group of radiating vivianite crystals, 7mm across, in jasper. Ex Henry Ludlam (1822-1880) and Geological Museum, London, collections. The Ludlam collection was once on display in the Geological Museum, one of very few old extant collections still held in one piece and available to be seen. Now sadly incorporated into the Natural History Museum Collection and no longer on display. (Author: ian jones)
Vivianite
Wheal Owles, Botallack,
-
Wavellite and Variscite
Pwll Du Head, Bishopston, Swansea, Wales, UK
Wavellite, 6-10mm diameter. Variscite balls 0.5mm
Rich, inter-grown, radiating, acicular lime-green crystals of wavellite, 6-10mm diameter, on and inter-grown with 0.5mm balls of cream to translucent greyish variscite, in a thin joint on red iron-rich chert.
Variscite identification confirmed at the National Museum of Wales, this was the first recorded occurrence of variscite in Wales. Collected July 1997. (Author: ian jones)
Wavellite and Variscite
Pwll Du He
-
Wavellite to 18mm diameter. Collected in 1986 (Author: ian jones)
Wavellite to 18mm diameter. Collec
-
Witherite
Fallowfield Mine, Acomb, Northumberland, England, UK (Author: ian jones)
Witherite
Fallowfield Mine, Acomb,