Baryte with Malachite and Azurite – Somerset

Specimens of baryte with small amounts of malachite and azurite from Cannington Park, Bridgewater, Somerset, UK. These baryte samples display a bladed crystal habit and have the typical density of the mineral. Baryte is a barium sulphate mineral, sometimes spelt barite, it has been extracted in UK for centuries often associated as a by-product of lead and iron ore mining (mining of the minerals galena and hematite). An unusually weighty mineral hence its old name 'heavy spar' derived from Greek. Specimens are supplied in a white card tray with an information label, these are must have samples for any British mineral collector.