Mimetite var. Campyllite on Quartz (Whitmore Coll.)

Item Description

A very showy and excellent, old-time, mimetite variety campylite specimen from the historic Dry Gill Mine of Cumbria. Two, striking, parallel, graduated-in-size clusters of lustrous, olive-green to honey-brown, curved barrel-shaped mimetite prisms (campylite) are attractively set on the oxide-coated, mostly massive to partially euhedral quartz matrix. The campylites reach 1.4 cm long. The two rows are pristine, except for the one broken crystal at the end of a row. A nifty accent is the 7 mm ball on the side of the piece. This is an important old-timer in this size range, highlighted by the old label. Dry Gill was active as an ore producer from 1830-1869. Fine pieces were recovered in recent times, but this is definitely a 19th century piece. Ex Robert Whitmore Collection. Valued at $850-1000.