Baryte

A very aesthetic cabinet specimen of pastel blue, gemmy-translucent Baryte from Baia Sprie mine in Maramureș County, Romania.  Excellent bladed-platy crystals of Baryte are richly intergrown displaying lots of parallel growth on a small base of Goethite-included Baryte.  The Baryte is a delicate sky to powder blue whose tabular crystals are developed to over 3 x 2 cm and average about 3 mm thick.  The attached small paper label on the base has the name “Großgrubnergang” prior to Baia Sprie, but no trace of this can be found, be this a locality, name or whatever.  It roughly translates into English as “large dug gear”, so remains an unresolved mystery.  Despite this, it is a beautiful specimen and without doubt a classic of this habit from the mines at Baia Sprie.