Witherite Haggs or Settlingstones?

Hello,
So I got this Witherite, labelled as Haggs Mine I think it looks more like a Settlingstones piece, as does its previous owner, who told me It was in a box of Haggs mine pieces but didnt look like any of the others, they were typical Haggs pieces with the surface alteration to Baryte . So what does anyone think? there isnt any matrix to yield clues, there are very tiny crystals of Pyrite (or Chalcopyrite) on the underside of the specimen included within the Witherite. It measures about 10cm's across, as far as my laptop goes the colour in the photograph is very close to the real colour, it looks very pale,

Not all Haggs witherite has a surface alteration, although certainly a lot does.

But going by colour and form, this certainly looks like a Settlingstones piece rather than Haggs.

Regarding the sulphide association, none of my own pieces from either location have this, perhaps someone else can add something here.

In 1962 I collected at Settlingstones, and some specimens of witherite were on massive Galena. I have just looked at one of these under the binocular and, sure enough, there are little specks of golden pyrite and/or chalcopyrite at the base of the specimen where the witherite contacts the galena. Some of the witherite crystals show (chalco)pyrite inclusions near the contact zone. Taken with the general aspect etc - I would tend to go for Settlingstones...

Cheers

Tim

Ian Jones Wrote:
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> Not all Haggs witherite has a surface alteration,
> although certainly a lot does.
>
> But going by colour and form, this certainly looks
> like a Settlingstones piece rather than Haggs.
>
> Regarding the sulphide association, none of my own
> pieces from either location have this, perhaps
>Why only Haggs or Settlingstones? I've been underground in both. Settlingstones witherite was never 'corroded. Haggs, as noted, almost always was. Reason for attempting to post. The colln. I passed on to Ralph Sutcliffe had fine pseudohex. terminated xls. from Russell Res. Colln that came from Fallowfield Colliery. Witherite doesn't just come from two locs. Shropshire too I collected from dumps omeone else can add something here.

Geoffrey Lane Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ian Jones Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Not all Haggs witherite has a surface
> alteration,
> > although certainly a lot does.
> >
> > But going by colour and form, this certainly
> looks
> > like a Settlingstones piece rather than Haggs.
> >
> > Regarding the sulphide association, none of my
> own
> > pieces from either location have this, perhaps
> >Why only Haggs or Settlingstones? I've been
> underground in both. Settlingstones witherite was
> never 'corroded. Haggs, as noted, almost always
> was. Reason for attempting to post. The colln. I
> passed on to Ralph Sutcliffe had fine pseudohex.
> terminated xls. from Russell Res. Colln that came
> from Fallowfield Colliery. Witherite doesn't just
> come from two locs. Shropshire too I collected
> from dumps omeone else can add something here.

Why only Haggs or Settlingstones - partly because that was the question and it was a "one-off" in a box of Haggs witherite. but mainly because it looks very typical of Settlingstones witherite and not much like Haggs at all.

But I agree that witherite is widespread (if not common). Interestingly, it occurs 10 miles from where I live in Cardiff in large groups with crystals to 50mm - and elsewhere in Wales too - but not like the picture. Fallowfield, the other obvious contender in the area in question produced exceptional witherite specimens but they are typically freestanding pseudohexagonal crystals and often associated with alstonite e.g. [www.mindat.org]. I certainly can't recall seeing one from here like the photo posted.

You can never be certain when attributing a locality, but I have seen and handled many Settlingstones witherites and this is typical of the location. I think that on the balance of probabilities, this is where it comes from.

Thanks guys, Ive collected Witherite in numerous localities and have some pieces in my collection but to me this looks Settlingstones, the only similar piece from Haggs I own is clear (see photo) and not even remotely yellow, but has a vaguely similar habit. Ive got Witherite from numerous localities in North Yorkshire too (All self collected) but its mostly massive stuff, the only nicely crystallised pieces came from Richmondshire but were heavily altered to Baryte and tiny, Im going to label this piece Settlingstones, Im convinced thats its correct locality.