Baryte is barium sulphide BaSO4 This a small specimen from Sardinia, perhaps not the best quality, but at least a few golden yellow tabular crystals can be identified, Baryte is fragile and most of the specimen is composed of small fractured crystals on a base which is baryte with no discernible form.
I have a very large basement area, and this photograph is my store of all things geological, including my collection of rocks, fossils, and minerals. There are many hundreds of mineral specimens, and it will take me a long time to put all of them on the website. Many minerals have been collected here in the Central Wales Orefield (CWO). Unfortunately many of the sites have been overgrown, or "landscaped", leaving only a handful of local sites which may still yield the odd specimen. The listed specimens can also be viewed in picture format by accessing the "Bagley collection" on the home page. I would appreciate feedback on any of my postings, and thanks for looking.
Quartz is silicon dioxide SiO2, one of the most common minerals to be found in the Earths crust. There are many varieties of quartz, and this particular specimen is rose quartz. The pink colour is generally thought to be the result of trace amounts of titanium, iron, or magnesium, however recent studies have suggested that the pink colour is possibly due to microscopic fibres of dumortierite. The origin of this specimen is unknown.
Serpentinite is a metamorphic rock which contains one or more of the serpentine group minerals. This serpentine specimen is from Kynance cove, the Lizard, Cornwall, where there is a very large deposit of serpentinte rock. Serpentine from the general area is usually referred to as "Cornish serpentine"
Halite, or rock salt is sodium chloride (NaCl).This is an evaporite mineral which has precipitated from evaporating sea water. The "dirty" colour is due to contamination by impurities. This specimen from a Cheshire salt mine requires extra care in storage due to it's tendency to decompose in humid conditions, and become very wet. This specimen is stored in an airtight box,with a good number of dessicant sachets, but even so is still liable to become slightly wet.