Witherite with Alstonite

specimen number:
9892152

location:
Minerva Mine #1, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA

description:
Classic for the locality and species, colorless slightly translucent semi lustrous crystals of witherite, the largest prismatic in measuring to 4.2 x 2.1 x 2.0 cm in size, set nicely on a brecciated matrix. This sits up perfectly by itself or display and is in very good condition. Tiny colorless crystals of alstonite are present.

The Minerva Mine Number 1, located near Cave-in-Rock in Hardin County, Illinois, was a cornerstone of the historic Illinois-Kentucky fluorspar district. Discovered in 1940 and sinking its primary shaft in 1942, the mine operated intermittently until its final closure in 1996. Geologically, the deposit sits within Mississippian-age carbonate host rocks, where fluorine-bearing hydrothermal fluids migrated through regional faults and bedding-plane replacement zones to form rich ore bodies. Mineralogically, the mine achieved world-renowned status among collectors for producing spectacular specimens, most notably exceptionally sharp cubic and multi-colored fluorite crystals often associated with sphalerite, calcite, barite, strontianite, and witherite.

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