Alstonite with Witherite

specimen number:
2354122

location:
Alston Moor, Cumbria, England, UK

description:
Micro crystals of colorless alstonite very rich and nice across the front and most of the back of this matrix with minor witherite. In good condition. The specimen has an old label from the A. E. Foote, M. D. Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania glued to one side. Several other previous labels as well, one from David Garske which notes that this was previously also owned by Gunnar Bjareby. Nice history on an old classic specimen from England.

Situated within the North Pennines of Cumbria, England, Alston Moor features a complex geological framework of Lower Carboniferous limestones, sandstones, and shales cut by mineralized hydrothermal vein systems. The region has a rich history of intensive underground mining dating back centuries, primarily extracting valuable ores of lead, silver, zinc, and iron. Hydrothermal activity within these network veins created exceptional mineral diversity, making the district famous among mineral collectors and researchers. Alston Moor serves as the type locality for alstonite, a rare double carbonate of barium and calcium that typically forms complex, pseudo-hexagonal twinned crystals in low-temperature vein cavities.

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