FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[colin robinson]

thanks, Jordi. I've been field collecting in northern England for about 50 years and have a quite extensive knowledge of locations. I'll add to the database as and when I get the time.

[Jordi Fabre]

The Bigrigg Mine is a legend...

[texasdigger]

I just bought this piece. Love the form and zoning. From what I've seen, zoned specimens are harder to come by from this locale. Condition could be better so I got quite a steep discount off their asking price :)

[Jesse Fisher]

Unfortunately, "Cumberland" is, for the most part, now part of the modern county of Cumbria, not Northumberland. If the location is correct, it should be posted on that thread, not this one.

[Jordi Fabre]

[Jesse Fisher]

Mimetite (Campylite) with minor anglesite (?) from Dry Gill

[Jesse Fisher]

Another pyromorphite from Roughton Gill. Not a stunning specimen, but nice provenance.

[Jesse Fisher]

A nicely unoxidized specimen of galena and ankerite from Smallcleugh, Nenthead.

[Tony L. Potucek]

Nice specimen, Pard! Is that a new addition? Are you already blowing through your Tucson reserves? Ha!

tlp

[Jesse Fisher]

Another Nenthead specimen. Fluorite is less common in the Alston Moor mines than in Weardale, just to the east in Co. Durham. The Jug Vein accessed by the Brownley Hill Mine is known for amber/yellow fluorite, however. This one is in the form of a stalactite-like column. The specimen likely dates from the late 19th century.

[Jesse Fisher]

A nice Frizington barite/baryte found at the recent Tucson show. A couple of former collection numbers are on the back, but as is often the case, no historical labels accompanied the specimen.

[Tobi]

Jesse, thanks for your contributions, I really love all of your recently posted specimens, just TOO great :-)
Here's another classic specimen from Cumbria that should not miss in this thread, even more because I think I managed to take a good photo:

[Jesse Fisher]

Witherite from the Nentsberry Haggs Mine, near Nenthead, Alston Moor. Much of the witherite from this mine has been at least partially pseudomorphed by barite, and is possibly the case with this specimen.

[Andy Lawton]

Some secondary minerals from the Caldbeck Fells

[Andy Lawton]

A Lake District pyromorphite

[Andy Lawton]

A Caldbeck Fells arsenopyrite

[Andy Lawton]

A Lake District calcite I repatriated a few years ago

[Jesse Fisher]

Most are familiar with the Hilton Mine as a source of yellow and amber-colored fluorite. Not as well known is the Murton Mine, located adjacent to the Hilton at the hear of Scordale Beck, along the Western Escarpment of the North Pennines. The Murton was worked for barium ore (both baryte and witherite) during the 19th and early 20th centuries, but specimens in old collections are scarce. This is the only fluorite I have encountered from the mine. The presence of mimetite (fine-grained green stuff at the top of the specimen) is unusual for the North Pennines, though common to the west in the Caldbeck Fells area.

[Jesse Fisher]

A nice old calcite from the West Cumbrian (Cumberland) iron ore deposits, with a label from Ward's Natural Science, located in Rochester, New York. It is difficult to date old Ward's specimens by the label as the company remained at the same address for many years. It is possible, however, that the specimen came to them when they purchased George English's business and stock in 1905. English was a prominent East Coast mineral dealer at the time and was known to have made numerous buying trips to the British Isles and continental Europe in the late 19th century. This would have coincided with the height of mining activity in the area around Egremont and Frizington. Just how such a delicate-looking specimen survived being crated up and shipped back to the USA at that time is a wonder!

[Tobi]

A wonderful classic calcite, outstanding quality and nice reddish colour zoning. And I just love the Ward's labels, they're somehow between vintage and modern. Great specimen and great label!