Aberdaunant mine, Central Wales Orefield. A deposition of different minerals on two faces of host rock. Fine crystals of quartz, botryoidal haematite, and a very small amount of galena. This type of specimen is not uncommon at Aberdaunant mine.
Quartz, SiO2. Bryn y Rafr mine, Central Wales Orefield. A specimen composed of druzy quartz, with a small surface deposit of haematite. The composition implies that this was a brecciation out of which the host rock has been removed by weathering. The haematite is minimal and appears to be a later deposition.
Quartz, SiO2, and Calcite, CaCO3. Dylife mine, Central Wales Orefield. Clear druzy quartz crystals with a uniform size of about 1mm. on the front and rear of a piece of host rock. There are several small deposits of calcite on top of the druzy quartz. The quartz and calcite were deposited from hydrothermal circulating fluids at depth with the quartz being deposited first. Finer detail of the calcite is to be seen in Quartz( druzy) and Calcite 2.
Dylife mine, Central Wales Orefield. Detail from druzy quartz and calcite 1. Although the deposits are very small, the cleavage and rhombohedral structure of the calcite is well observed.
Linarite,copper lead sulphide, PbCuSO4(OH)2 and Malachite, copper carbonate, Cu2CO3(OH)2. Geufron mine, Central Wales Orefield. Quartz rich host rock with an encrustation of malachite overlying deep blue linarite. Most of the linarite is an encrustation in the form of tightly compacted crystals. Several radiating sprays of bladed crystals about 0.5mm in length can be seen with high magnification.