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Witherite
Current inventory:  1 gems
 

Witherite

  
Witherite is named after Dr.
William Withering (1741-1799), English physician and mineralogist, who first noted the material.

Discovered in 1790; IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered)

 

Chemistry

 

 

Chemical Formula:

Ba(CO3)

 

Barium Carbonate

Molecular Weight:

197.34 gm

Composition:

Barium

69.59 %

Ba

77.70 %

BaO

 

Carbon

6.09 %

C

22.30 %

CO2

 

Oxygen

24.32 %

O

 

 

 

 

100.00 %

 

100.00 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

 

 

Classification

   

   

Mineral Classification:

Carbonates

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

5/B.04-30

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

5.AB.15

 

5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
A : Carbonates without additional anions, without H
2O
B : Alkali-earth (and other M
2+) carbonates

Related to:

Aragonite Group. Strontianite - Witherite Series.

Members of Group:

Aragonite Group: Aragonite, Cerussite, Strontianite, Witherite

Varieties:

None

Synonyms:

Aerated Barytes, Barolite, Barolite (of Kirwan), Sulphato-Carbonate of Baryta, Viterite

 

 

Crystal Data

   

   

Crystallography:

Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal

Crystal Habit:

Pseudohexagonal dipyramidal due to repeated twinning, short prismatic to elongated along [001], {010}, {021}, {012}, other faces commonly rough and horizontally striated, to 12 cm. May be botryoidal to spherical, columnar fibrous, granular, massive.

Twinning:

On {110}, universal

 

 

Physical Properties

   

 

Cleavage:

Distinct on {010}, poor on {110} and {012}

Fracture:

Sub-Conchoidal to Irregular/Uneven

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

3.0 - 3.5

Density:

4.22 - 4.31 (g/cm3)

Luminescence:

Bluish white under SW UV with phosphorescence (green and yellow in material from England); bluish white under LW UV with phosphorescence (yellowish in material from England); Fluoresces in X-rays

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Health Warning:

CAUTION: Barium Carbonate is toxic if ingested. Handling of Witherite is not a major cause of concern as long as you avoid breathing in dust and wash your hands after handling.

Other:

Effervesces in dilute HCl solutions; soluble in dilute HCl

 

 

Optical Properties

   

   

Color:

Colorless, white, pale gray, may be tinted pale yellow, pale brown, or pale green; colorless in transmitted light

Transparency:

Transparent to Translucent

Luster:

Vitreous; resinous on fractures

Refractive Index:

1.529 - 1.677  Biaxial ( - )

Birefringence:

0.1480

Dispersion:

Very weak; r > v

Pleochroism:

None

 

 

Occurances

   

   

Geological Setting:

Usually in minor amounts in low-temperature hydrothermal veins, typically an alteration product of barite; may be of anoxic sedimentary origin, barium supplied by volcanic hot-spring activity; uncommon in coal measures.

Common Associations:

Barite, Calcite, Fluorite, Galena

Common Impurities:

Ca, Sr

Type Locality:

Brownley Hill Mine (Bloomsberry Horse Level), Nenthead, Alston Moor District, North Pennines, North and Western Region (Cumberland), Cumbria, England, UK

Year Discovered:

1790

View mineral photos:

Witherite Mineral Photos and Locations

 

 

More Information

   

   

 

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

 

 


Witherite is a rare member of the Aragonite group of minerals that also includes Aragonite and Cerussite. Witherite is very rarely faceted because it is soft, fragile and difficult to polish. It is an interesting mineral in that its crystals always form twins. All members of the Aragonite group can form twins, but Witherite is one member that always forms twins! Witherite gems typically have a pearly luster or internal "sleepiness" similar to
Prehnite. Witherite fluoresces a beautiful bluish white under both short wave and long wave UV light with phosphorescence.

Notable occurances of Witherite are Cave-in-Rock, Hardin County, Illinois, USA; Alston Moor, Cumberland and Durham, England; Thunder Bay area, Ontario, Canada.
 

  
Witherite gems for sale:

Witherite-001

Gem:

Witherite

Stock #:

WITHER-001

Weight:

3.4035 ct

Size:

9.06 x 9.02 x 5.84 mm

Shape:

Custom Trillion

Color:

Very Pale Yellowish White

Clarity:

Eye Clean - VSI (sleepy)

Origin:

Cave-in-Rock, Illinois, USA

Treatment:

None (natural)

Price:

$680.00    [ Make an offer ]

Pictures are of the actual gem offered for sale.
Gem images are magnified to show detail.

Witherite-001

An extremely rare gem with a very nice glow of very pale yellowish white color with a sleepy appearance similar to the effect visible in Prehnite gems. This beautiful gem is from a classic US location; Cave-in-Rock, Hardin County, Illinois. A location also known for its beautiful Flourite specimens. This beautiful gem was precision faceted in the US.


 


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