Calcite

A lustrous and gemmy specimen of Calcite from Pallaflat mine, situated about half way between the small village of Bigrigg and the tiny hamlet of Pallaflat in west Cumbria, England. Colourless and immaculately clear Calcite crystals completely cover an earthy textured matrix of Hematite coated in rusty orange brown limonitic oxides. The Calcite forms stubby scalenohedral crystals with bright reflective mirror-like faces, so characteristic of fine Calcite from this locality. The Pallaflat mine begin in 1874 and worked through to 1914 when it eventually closed, having produced over 80,000 tons of iron ore.