Minerals / Specular Hematite with Fluorite, Egremont.

Both minerals on this specimen are interesting, The specular variety of hematite ,   Fe₂O₃   is often referred to by the name specularite.   Specular is a reference to the mirror like property of hematite crystals, which on this specimen, are very small. There are many small clear fluorite,   CaF₂   crystals littered on the surface, with an average size of   2.5 mm. On the rear of the specimen is a much larger and better defined area of specularite, with only a small number of fluorite crystals. The specimen is from the Florence mine, Egremont, in Cumbria, which was the last deep working iron ore mine in Europe, finally closing in 2007 after several changes of operator. 

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