Baryte

📍Clara Mine, Oberwolfach, Ortenaukreis, Freiburg Region, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Dimensions: 41/30/24mm
Ex. Gabrys Museum

This is a small barite specimen from the famous Clara Mine in Germany, composed of a cluster of exceptionally clear crystals with sharp, clean faces and a full, well-balanced form. Under magnification, some crystal surfaces display delicate grooves or etched patterns, adding both visual and scientific interest.

Interestingly, a few crystals are lightly dusted with pale pink secondary growths, giving the specimen a soft tint and subtle contrast that enhance its overall depth and character.

Although the Clara Mine’s dump site remains open to collectors today, finding specimens of this clarity and quality, with such intact crystal groups, has become nearly impossible.

This piece comes from the former collection of the Gabrys Mineral Museum in Lam, Bavaria, Germany. Founded in 1969 by Andreas Gabrys and his wife, the museum once housed over 10,000 specimens from Germany and around the world. Mr. Gabrys, who had served as mine director at Fürstenzeche (Oswald), was a passionate mineral collector. After his passing in 1994, his wife continued operating the museum until 2004. Due to age and health issues, the museum was eventually closed and its collection dispersed through auction. This specimen was part of that historic dispersal, carrying with it the legacy of a bygone era of private mineral museums.