Dear Tony,
Having just returned from two weeks leave from the hotel, I notice that I
have rather a lot of email! I notice from the general discussion on malachite
that most reference has been to foreign parts: however, there were places in
the British Isles where malachite was worked. Now, I am not an authority on
this, Simon Timberlake is though, and it was he who was instrumental in the
dating of the Cwmystwyth area. Malachite was worked as such at Geufron Mine
in Montgomeryshire, and I obtained some fine specimens many years ago myself,
and about five years ago helping a geologist friend who was doing research
for an official body. The mine itself is totally unaccessable, and the
specimens came form the surface - for those who look for specimens please do
not decend on this site as I can tell you there is nothing of any consequence
to be found there these days, apart from the normal minor coatings that can
be found on any old copper mie site. At one time this mine must have produced
some superb material: nothing to match foreign material, but, all the same,
notable for Wales and the UK. Whether this place was noticed by the Romans
will never be known, but the surface indications must at one time have been
very evident. Obviously the deposits mentioned in previous mails are major,
and much fine material was produced: there is a rather large table of one
single slab about four inches thick in Russia which has to be seen to be
believed. What was the Congo, has, as many will know produced very fine
material for many years - and still is, but the export of same is restricted
these days, since the Govt. policy is that only finished articles are to be
exported. Getting back to the UK, there are only a few places where it has
been 'produced' as such, but I am sure there will be others who would be able
to enlarge further. I hope this might be of at least a little use to you.
Regards, Bernard
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