Minerals of Scotland

An Introductory Guide to the minerals of
WALES &
NORTHERN IRELAND

WALES & NORTHERN IRELAND

Classic Mineral Localities
Type Localities

Though Wales and Northern Ireland make up two of the smaller components of the United Kingdom,
they have nevertheless produced some interesting minerals.

They also contain the type locality for a number of species.
In Wales, these include brookite and anglesite - two species most familiar to mineral collectors.

Anglesite is probably the most famous mineral originating from Wales known to collectors - since it bears the name of Anglesey, an island off its NW coast.
The type locality is at the Parys Mountain Mine - a site with a long history and - possibly - a future.

It's a classic site which, like so many others in the United Kingdom, has probably already produced its finest specimens... However, we live in hope.

Another location fitting this bill is the brookite locality of Fron Oleu, (also the type locality), which along with a few other sites in the Snowdonia district of north Wales, has produced Alpine-vein type minerals.

Brookite from here is of the finest for the species in the best specimens. Quartz and anatase are also worth mentioning and are associated with the brookite.
Additionally, micro-crystals of monazite and synchysite can also be found at these occurences.

South Wales is indeed a mining area with a long and famous tradition - though in this case - for coal. Nevertheless, there are mines which have produced some mineral specimens - one or two collieries have produced some very fine specimens of millerite.

MILLERITE - Coed-Ely Mine, Llantrissant,
mid Glamorgan, south Wales.
Brassy needles c 6mms growing from a galena crystal
resting on a bed of discoidal, creamy-white siderite crystals.

Also, a note should be made of the calcite specimens of collector grade over recent years from Taff's Well,
near Cardiff. In the past, some sites in the area have also produced fine fluorite specimens.

In central Wales, the rare barium minerals, celsian and paracelsian, are found. This area has a tradition of lead-mining and unusual, rare secondary lead species, like those from the Caldbeck Fells and the Leadhills & Wanlockhead areas, have been found, amongst others.

Perhaps, the common, secondary lead species, pyromorphite, particularly from Bwlch Glas, is the main species found in this area, in hand or display-size specimens, amongst collections.

ANATASE - Snowdonia, WALES.
(a 4mm striated, pyramidal crystal).

WALES
Type Locality Species

Anglesite, Brinrobertsite, Brookite, Dickite, Lanthanite-Ce, Namuwite.

Additionally, the Benallt Mine, Rhiw, Caernarvon is the type locality for four more species -
Banalsite, Bannisterite, Cymrite and Pennantite (clinochlore variety).

The minerals of Northern Ireland are restricted mainly to County Antrim and the Tertiary basalt lavas - the same as those on the island of Skye in Scotland, but other species can be found elsewhere.

These lavas are renowned over the world for the hexagonal, columnar-jointing, basalt structure at the Giant's Causeway.

Whether a mineral or Nature enthusiast or not, they are worth a visit!

GMELINITE - Magheramourne Quarry, Larne,
County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Tabular, hexagonal, bi-pyramidal crystals to c 3mms resting on analcime.

NORTHERN IRELAND
Type Locality Species

Bicchulite*, Garronite, Gmelinite-Na, Gobbinsite, Larnite, Osumilite-Mg, Vaterite.

Also Scawt Hill, Co. Antrim, is the type locality for six species -
Bredigite, Ferro-Bustamite*, Hydrocalumite, Portlandite, Rankinite & Scawtite.
(*co-type locals)

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