Barite with Calcite

specimen number:
2013600

location:
Annabel Lee Mine, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA

description:
Wonderful large cabinet piece featuring pale blue lustrous crystal groupings of barite measuring to 5.0 cm in size across matrix with scalenohedral crystals of translucent calcite. This is in super condition. Crystallized completely all around. Collected in the mid 1980s.

The Annabel Lee Mine, located in the Harris Creek District of Hardin County, Illinois, was one of the last major underground fluorspar mines to operate in the United States. Geologically, it targeted high-grade bedded replacement deposits within the Mississippian-aged Mississippian Bethel Sandstone and Downeys Bluff Limestone, where fluorine-rich hydrothermal fluids filled structural traps along the Rock Creek Fault Zone. The mine is legendary among collectors for producing spectacular fluorite specimens, often featuring sharp cubic crystals in vibrant shades of purple, yellow, and blue, frequently associated with barite, calcite, and sphalerite. Historically, the mine was opened in 1984 by the Ozark-Mahoning Company and remained a primary producer of acid-grade fluorspar for over a decade. It served as a vital part of the Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District until global economic shifts and competition from foreign imports led to its closure in late 1995. Today, the Annabel Lee is remembered as a premier locality for world-class fluorite, with its specimens highly sought after for their exceptional clarity, luster, and complex color zoning.

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