Barite (fine old classic) (ex Chet Lemanski Collection)

Item Description

A beautiful and aesthetic display specimen of the classic old time Barites from Cumbria. The piece is labeled only as coming from "England", but I have to believe it's from Cumbria, possibly Frizington, but if anybody out there can help us out with a more specific locality, please let us know on this one. With that said, this specimen features a few sharp, well-formed, very lustrous, gemmy, rich honey-gold colored prismatic crystals of Barite measuring up to 4.0 cm long sitting on matrix. A couple of the crystals show distinct internal phantoms when backlit, and the color really comes through when you get some light in there. One of the secondary Barites is contacted, but the main crystal is in fine condition, with only the most trivial of roughness in a few tiny spots. A great example of these incredibly well-known and sought after Barites. From the collection of Chester ("Chet") S. Lemanski Jr. of Browns Mills, New Jersey (https://www.mindat.org/user-461.html). Collection #1103CL, and a former Taldino Testone specimen. Chet was born 1947 in started collecting minerals circa 1957. He worked briefly as a drill runner at the famous Sterling Mine, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey and from 1987 to 1990 he helped convert the mine into a public access mining museum. He has held the role of treasurer, vice president and president of the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society (FOMS), and has been a board member and vice president of the Franklin Mineral Museum. The rare copper arsenate, Lemanskiite was named in his honor in 1999.