Baryte with Hematite (circa late 1800s)

Item Description

A historic specimen of the famous blue British barytes that were in every museum and collection in the world as a must-have of the 1800s and early 1900s. Generally, most of these should have come out from the early 1800s through the 1880s, although there may have been some exceptions. Museum specimens are well known dating to the early 1800s. This is a classic of old Europe! The piece features a rosette of intergrown crystals to 9 cm, the largest in fairly good condition with only minor edge wear on the wide edge bevel. Some smaller crystals at the periphery have damage, but this is all hard to see unless you look for it. Unusually, the crystals are tinted slightly red by minute inclusions of hematite. Valued $2000-2500.