Calcite with Limonite inclusions

Gillfoot Park mine was a little to the northwest of the town of Egremont in West Cumbria, England. As a result of the gradual growth of the town, housing developments now extend to the ground above this historic mine. Gillfoot is synonymous with wonderful and interesting Calcites and this miniature certainly fits the bill. Water-clear, colourless Calcite forms a 6 cm tall hexagonal prism with alternating wide and narrow prism faces and a perfect trigonal pyramidal termination. Pervading the interior are black dendritic and arborescent plumes of dark brown to black Limonite inclusions. These manifest on the crystal faces as sooty black traces with a matt lustre. A fascinating and aesthetic miniature well worthy of further study at low magnification. It is accompanied by two labels, one a late R.W. Barstow white label from Richard’s personal collection.