Pyromorphite

Minerals from the Caldbeck Fells are highly prized by collectors, especially now collecting is completely banned.  It is famous for many finely crystalised species, as documented by Mick Cooper and Chris Stanley in their 1990 book, ‘Minerals of the English Lake District – Caldbeck Fells’.  One of its most iconic species is the lead chlorophosphate, Pyromorphite, famously from the mines and veins at Roughton Gill.  This is an excellent cabinet specimen of lime green grading to acidic lemon-yellow Pyromorphite in crystals from less than 1 mm to about 1.2 cm long.  The Pyromorphite richly infills the vuggy surface of tan-buff intermeshed Baryte blades containing areas of stubby crystallised light grey Quartz crystals.  This is a beautiful and characteristic Pyromorphite, so typical of Roughton Gill.