Baryte, Shangulowé Mine, Katanga, DRC RARE and CHOICE
The subtle, eye-catching blue-green hue of these lustrous baryte crystals is imparted by tiny inclusions of malachite within the crystal lattice. Individual crystals range from water-clear to translucent, and many feature textbook crystallography with the classic “chisel point” terminations. According to Mindat, the world-class Shangulowé Mine locality (now exhausted) produced the best baryte crystal clusters in Congo. Specimens from this classic locality have largely disappeared into private collections and only rarely come on the market. A few of the crystals are clipped, but the overall presentation of this self-standing miniature remains superb.
