Hematite "Kidney Ore"

A classic example of the famous "kidney ore" hematite from the historic iron mining district of Cumbria, England. This attractive miniature displays beautifully developed reniform to mammillary hematite with a rich steel-grey metallic lustre and subtle burgundy tones visible under strong lighting. The smooth botryoidal surface is well formed, while the contacted edges reveal the distinctive radiating fibrous structure of acicular hematite that is characteristic of the finest material from the district.

The iron mines of west Cumbria, particularly the renowned Florence Mine, produced some of the world's finest botryoidal hematite specimens and have long been regarded as the classic locality for this habit. Once commonly encountered in older collections, quality examples have become increasingly difficult to obtain since mining ceased. This specimen is a fine representative of the material that made the district famous and would make an excellent addition to any collection of classic British minerals or iron oxide species.