Witherite with Baryte and Alstonite

Two choice double terminated greyish-white crystals of Witherite are perched on a bed of small Alstonite crystals, from the alstonite joint type locality of Fallowfield mine at Acomb near Hexham in Northumberland.  The smaller Witherite crystal measures 22 mm tip to tip; the larger crystal 33 mm, although the lower half of the double termination is not complete due to contact with the matrix.  The semi-matt lustre of the Witherite crystals suggests they are coated with a very thin film of Baryte.  All the Alstonite crystals are to about 2 mm across and are perfectly terminated.  The matrix underside of the specimen consists of intergrown platy colourless Baryte.  A super example of these two rare British barium carbonate minerals.