Fluorite and Galena (Fluorescent)
Specimen #EU6
Weardale, County Durham, England
6.0 x 4.3 x 3.2cm
Large Miniature
$75
This specimen reminds me of the fluorite specimens I’ve seen from
Hardin County. It shows an abundance of purple colored cubic fluorite
xls, a number of which are twinned, along with a number of octahedral
cubes of galena, the largest measuring 0.9 x 0.9cm. Under SW UV light,
the fluorite crystals glow a neon purple color. Here’s a bit of info I
found about the area on “ukminingventures” website:
Over the last several centuries numerous mines and
prospects in the Weardale area have yielded enormous amounts of both
lead and later, fluorite ores. As a byproduct of this mining, many
well-crystallized specimens of fluorite and other minerals were
recovered, and are today found worldwide in both public and private
collections. Fortunately for the mineral collecting community, there
was a high level of interest in collecting and preserving mineral
specimens in the UK during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when
many of these mines were at their peak production. This interest
provided an economic incentive for miners to preserve attractive
specimens, known locally as "Bonnie Bits", which they could readily
sell to collectors and dealers.
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