FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[bob kerr]

I bought this from Wendel Minerals for a few dollars as it didn't have a label and they could not tell me the locality. I thought (hoped?) it was dolomite due to the crystal form and color, but testing shows its barite. Associates are mainly quartz, and it is sitting on a mainly sphalerite matrix - other sulfides are present.

Any help with a possible locality would be appreciated. Wendel specializes in minerals from European localities but also carries worldwide specimens.

bob

[Peter Megaw]

Ask Bill Dameron...Barite Bill!

[Tobi]

Hi Bob, the piece could be from Androvo Mine in Bulgaria, a not so famous locality near Madan (which is much more known to collectors). Androvo produced not that many collectible specimens for the mineral market, but the baryte pieces I have seen were very similar to this piece ...

[Jordi Fabre]

Good shot, Tobi!

'Barite Bill' and I discussed it a bit:
The blocky crystals should help, but from Europe not so common. Romania has just about every shape and form, and I see some pale phantoms, and the associations are OK for that. I’ll dig around some more.

but It was unclear until Tobi matched it so well. Thanks!

[Tobi]

I'm glad I could help :-)

Sincerely
Tobi Martin
Mineral Detective at your service ;-)

[bob kerr]

Androvo is indeed a very good candidate - photos on Mindat show very similar sphalerite in association also.

Many thanks for the help and if anyone can come up with a better match it would be greatly appreciated.

bob