Baryte

Cavnic, Maramureș County, Romania

A slender stalactite of baryte, crystallized all around with tabular baryte crystals to 1.5 cm on edge. The blades overlap at angles like shingles and give the column a lively surface that catches the light from every side. They are cream to pale honey in color, translucent at the edges, with a faint peach tint toward the base. The core is most likely massive baryte. In form, the piece recalls the classic baryte stalactites from the Settlingstones Mine in Northumberland, England. This one comes from Cavnic in Maramureș, northern Romania, one of the historic mining districts of the Carpathians, where baryte usually grows as rosettes and sprays of tabular crystals. A stalactite like this is rarely seen from the locality. 20 cm tall. The top and bottom are unfortunately broken off, so the stalactite may once have been even more impressive.