Baryte

This ex-matrix Baryte is strikingly different, being composed of intergrown highly flattened rhombic crystals with a glassy clove-brown interior and caramel-brown exterior.  The specimen is from the classic Zobes-Bergen mining district in Vogtland, Saxony, Germany; an area containing about 11 known mines.  The largest crystal measures 3.3 x 2.3 cm by 0.4 cm thick; all other interconnected crystals are much smaller, but are of the same thickness.  The faces have highly reflective glassy surfaces and on the back surfaces, some crystals have been natural etched to display complex patterns.