ET92AG6: We love the classics, and when they are good then it is the best! This classic from England easily was found 100 years ago and reflects very well a period in the history of minerals in which the United Kingdom was the reference for many mineral species, including Pyromorphite.
Roughton Gill is an old mining area that forms part of the historic mining district of Caldbeck Fells, well known since the 18th century for its exceptional mineral diversity and for producing many classic specimens highly valued by collectors.
The Moutet collection from Marseille is the origin of this piece and the label of the prestigious shop Deyrolle de Paris that accompanies it is as historic as the Pyromorphite itself.

Geologically, the mineralization there occurs in hydrothermal veins cutting Ordovician volcanic and volcanosedimentary rocks of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group. These veins mainly host lead and zinc mineralization with numerous secondary minerals developed in the oxidation zone. Among them, Pyromorphite and Mimetite are particularly notable; in Roughton Gill the Mimetite commonly occur in the form historically known as 'campylite', characterized by short, curved, barrel-shaped crystals typically showing brown to orange colors.
Roughton Gill, Caldbeck Fells, Allerdale, former Cumberland, Cumbria  England / United Kingdom

Specimen size: 5 × 4.3 × 3.1 cm = 1.97” × 1.69” × 1.22”

Main crystal size: 1.1 × 0.9 cm = 0.43” × 0.35”