Barite (great color) (classic material)

Item Description

The famous mines around the historic Lavrion (Laurion) District in Greece have produced some of the most well known and distinctive minerals from any European locality. Mining took place around this area as far back as the Bronze Age as analysis of ancient isotopes of lead in the objects from that time indicate they were manufactured, in large part, with metal from the Laurion. Barite is known from thousands of localities around the world, but the ones from Laurion are beautiful and distinctive. Many of them often have a golden or even an orange hue, but the good RED Barites are highly sought after by collectors. Aside from the Romanian specimens, I don't know if I have ever seen red Barites from any other European locality. This specimen has beautiful, sharpd, lustrous, bladed crystals groups of orange-red Barite on matrix. The piece is actually crystallized on both sides, and is really attractive up close. I realize that labeling can be sensitive when it comes to specimens from Laurion, but this piece comes directly from a Greek mineral dealer who assures me that it is indeed from Paleokamariza. Very rare on the market, and valued at $600 for the overall size and quality of the piece.