UK minerals page

Selection of images from my collection. © Fernando Metelli. All photos and other material on this site are copyright, if you wish to use them please contact me for permission

I began, some years ago, collecting some English fluorite specimens (old classic), adding them some other UK minerals. For the geographical classification pf England I have followed the historic division in countries of England, that continue to form the basis of modern local government; I put them from north to south.
Fluorite is the most represented mineral

England, Cumberland
	Baryte after alstonite White pseudo-hexagonal biterminated pyramidal XX up to 0.7cm of baryte replacing alstonite. On matrix with micro crystalline sphalerite. From a type loc (lead mine) 4.5x4.5cm Brownley Hill mine, Alston Moore district, Cumberland, England. UK Specimen n.388
	Fluorite Quartz-rich rock covered by transparent XX of fluorite, edge up to 1.4 cm, with a gray color given by matrix 20x12cm Cumberland, England. UK Specimen n.967 Another photo: a bigger view
England, Country Durham
	Fluorite Smokey pink to almost yellow cubic XX, edge up to 3.4 cm 7x4.5cm Queensberry Ironstone Workings (Burtree Slits), Cowshill, Weardale, Co Durham, England. UK Specimen n.624
	Fluorite Cubic blue-green XX, up to 0.9cm edge, on matrix, with a typical twinned formation. These specimens show a green color under electric light that moves to green and blue under the sun light. The specimens from this type locality are strongly fluorescent in blue (see Fluorescent minerals section). 10x7.5cm Rogerley mine, Weardale, Co. Durham, England. UK Specimen n.69 Specimen in the Fluorescent mineral section
	Fluorite Cubic XX, dark green, up to 2 cm, twinned as often occours; XX surfaces are corroded. Rhere are some malformed galena XX on the piece 10x7.5cm Rogerley mine, Weardale, Co. Durham, England. UK Specimen n.69
	Fluorite In this piece the combination of XX forms a sort of elongated cubes. Color is pale lilac-to-brown, there are some internal fractures. No matrix 4x3cm Durham Coalfield, Co. Durham, England. UK Specimen n.727
	Fluorite XX up to 3cm 12x10cm Blue Circle Cement Quarry, Eastgate, Weardale, Co Durham, England. UK Specimen n.630
	Fluorite Twinned formation of pale yellow transparent cubes, with calcite 5.5x3.5cm Blue Circle Quarry, Eastgate, Weardale, Co Durham, England. UK Specimen n.629
	Fluorite Cubic XX, edge up to 1 cm, covered by a coating of white microcrystalline quartz 12x7cm Quarry Hill Vein, Stanhope, Weardale, Co Durham, England. UK Specimen n.704
England, Westmorland
	Fluorite Cubic XX, edge up to 0.4 cm 7x5cm Long Fell mine (Dow Scar Level), Scordale, Hilton, Westmorland, England. UK Specimen n.121 Another photo: a bigger view
	Fluorite Twinned cubic XX, from yellow to white, with small other XX. Edge max up to 1cm 4.5x3cm Hilton mine, Scordale, Hilton, Westmorland, England. UK Specimen n.635 Another photo: bigger view Another photo: different view Another photo: different view
England, Yorkshire

	Fluorite Detail of an interesting piece: the XX are pale purple, with a yellow inner part 9x6cm Cold Stones Quarry, Pately Bridge, Yorkshire, England. UK Specimen n.716 Another photo: entire specimen
	Fluorite Cubic XX, partially covered by smithsonite, with a small baryte rosette 9.5x6.5cm Intersection of Garnet and Sunveins, Coldstones Quarry, Greenhow, Pateley Bridge disctrict, North Yorkshire, England. UK Specimen n.628
England, Derbyshire

	Fluorite Group of XX, edge up to 2.5 cm. I have been told that the rust on them comes from the fact that originally the fluorite crystals were covered in marcasite, the marcasite has eroded and oxidised. The crystals also have unaltered marcasite crystals in planes within each crystal. Sometimes it is possible to find similar pieces called "Blue John" fluorite, from the Blue John cavern. (the name derives from the French "blue jaune", that is blue yellow; in fact, it is a yellow fluorite colored by films of oil and hydrocarbons), but the original Blue John is only massive 5.5x5cm Milltown quarry, Ashover, Derbyshire, England. UK Specimen n.893
	Fluorite Another bluish specimen from the same place of previous one. Edge of XX is up to 3.8 cm 10x7cm Milltown quarry, Ashover, Derbyshire, England. UK Specimen n.892
England, Cornwall

	Cassiterite Group of XX, twinned, up to 0.8 cm long, on mineralized matrix covered by quartz. From an old mining area with different mineral sites 5.5x5cm Redruth, Troon-lanner area, Camborne-Redruth-St Day district, Cornwall, England. UK Specimen n.513
Scotland, Argyllshire, Strontian baryte mine
	Harmotome XX up to 1.1cm, with sulphide inclusion (better visible in the 2nd photo), on pale brown calcite matrix 6.5x5cm Whitesmith Opencut, Strontian Baryte mine, Scotland. UK Specimen n.625 Another photo: bigger view
	Baryte Spherical cockscomb balls of baryte, intergrown with scalenohedral calcite, a typical sample from this place 6x4.5cm New workings, Strontian Baryte mine, Scotland. UK Specimen n.615 Another photo: entire specimen
	Calcite Typical honey brown calcite (edge up to 1cm), with a growth of white harmotome to 0.2cm 6x5.5cm Clashgorn Modern Workings, Strontian Baryte mine, Strontian, Scotland. UK Specimen n.627