January 2018

Named for Ian and Diana's dog Wolfie, this large cavity in the Greenbank vein was discovered towards the close of 2017, with specimen extraction in January 2018. The pocket is characterised by its deep gemmy-green and perfectly formed cubic Fluorite crystals, many as interpenetrant twins and punctuated with occasional finely developed lead-grey Galena crystals.

Named for Wolfie, Ian and Diana Bruce's pet lurcher cross and chief Rock-Hound!

Figure: Mr Wolfie Bruce, for whom the Wolfie pocket is named.

Figure: Fluorite, Wolfie Pocket, Rogerley mine, 9.7 x 4.5 x 3.8 cm. Fluorite as primarily interpenetrant cubic crystals exhibiting intense daylight fluorescence, so characteristic of classic Weardale specimens. The central crystal shows distorted development, in that its three axes are each of differing length. The crystal faces exhibit detailed growth patterns, some of which a highly lustrous and others finely etched and non-reflective. Many crystals have beautiful internal colour zoning with nested bands of green and purple.

Figure: Fluorite, Wolfie Pocket, Rogerley mine, 10.3 x 9.8 x 5.9 cm. Fluorite in studio light (left) and in short wave ultra-violet (SWUV) (right). Modern photographic studio lighting uses daylight colour temperature illumination to reveal true mineral colours, but wavelengths are restricted to within the visible spectrum and do not extend as far as UV. Fluorescence is only activated by the higher energy levels present in the UV bandwidth.

Opposite to Penny's pocket, a new exploratory crosscut driving eastward was developed to investigate for corresponding flats on the east side of the main vein. After about two weeks a totally new pocket zone that was encountered and named the Bluebirds pocket. This immediately began producing and through July and August gave some of the best material found since the Jewel Box and Blue Bell pockets in 2008. Mined during the 2013 to 2014 seasons.

Pocket named by team member Ian Jones in recognition of Cardiff City (nicknamed The Bluebirds) Football Club's promotion to the Premier League in 2013; the first time in its 144 years history.

Figure: Bluebirds Pocket, 14th August 2013. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Figure: Corroded cuboctahedral Galena with Fluorite, 5 x 4 x 3 cm, Bluebirds Pocket Zone. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Figure (left): A cluster of twinned fluorite crystals on ironstone matrix, 7 cm across. Collected from the Bluebirds No. 1 pocket in August, 2013. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Figure (right): A 15 cm plate of fluorite collected from the Bluebirds No. 1 pocket on June 19, 2014. This was one of the last specimens recovered from the pocket. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Mined in the late 1970's, a cavity containing exceptional bright green fluorite was discovered near the surface directly below the previously cut bench level.

Vein named by Sir Kingsley Dunham in recognition of Lindsay and Patricia Greenbank.

Figures: Examples of fluorite from the Greenbank vein, illustrating a tendency for the development of larger, single (untwinned) crystals in the mineralised veins at Rogerley. Figure left shows an 8 x 6 x 3 cm purple Fluorite with Quartz. Figure right is a 15 x 12 x 7 cm of green Fluorite with mottled white centres on limestone. UK Mining Ventures LLC photos.

2014 - 2015

A continuation of the Bluebirds pocket zone as mining progressed east away from the vein.

Figure: A cluster of twinned fluorite crystals on ironstone matrix, 7 cm across. Collected from the Bluebirds #2 pocket on August 12, 2015. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Found within the Penny's pocket zone in July 2012. The largest fluorite specimen found to date, a specimen about 1 m wide and weighing around 300 kg. The limestone matrix is coated with many hundreds of deep green fluorite cubic crystals which all exhibit an intense deep ink-blue daylight fluorescence. Occasional interpenetrant cubes to about 7 cm are scattered amongst the smaller crystals

The specimen is named, because of its size, for one of three legendary Giants of Weardale. These were brothers who worked as blacksmiths on local surrounding hilltops.

Figure: The Weardale Giant, prior to cleaning, outside Rogerley mine, 19th July 2012. Pictured alongside are Jurgen Margraf (left) and Robert Brandstetter. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Figure (right): Jurgen Margraf poses with "The Giant" after extraction from the mine. July, 2012. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Discovered in 2011 and worked to the end of June 2013, a heavily brecciated pocket, the fluorites being thickly coated with both soft and hard (calcified) clay. Fluorite crystals are typically between a few mm to about 4 cm on edge, most of which are twinned, with a medium to good lustre, are very gemmy and have the best daylight fluorescence to this find. Crystal faces exhibit growth hillocks. Untwinned crystals are quite rare and usually of poorer quality. One specimen is of a replaced colonial corral over which fluorite crystals have grown.

Pocket named for Penny Williamson, a visiting Australian friend of the mining team and curator of Geology at the University of Wollongong.

Figure: Fluorite on ironstone, 8 x 6 x 4 cm, Penny's Pocket, 2012. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Figure (Right): A slightly smaller plate of fluorite, recovered from the Penny's Pocket zone in June, 2013. The 2p coin measures 26 mm in diameter. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Worked in 1999 and 2000, the largest vein pocket discovered to date which produced several large clusters of untwinned purple fluorite crystals, some coated with white finely crystalline drusy quartz. The fluorite crystals were opaque and slightly corroded, except around the edges.

Pocket named for a stoat (mistaken for a weasel) who resided there.

Figure: Quartz on purple Fluorite; 10 x 8 x 5 cm, Weasel Pocket, Greenbank Vein, 2000. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Mined throughout 1999 to 2001. An interconnected series of fluorite-lined solution cavities in the flats to the east of the vein. Opened-up to a length of approximately 5 m, the wall rock surrounding these cavities was highly silicified. Zoned crystals found with green edges and inner blue or yellow cores and phantoms.

Pocket named for a local ale popular with the mining crew.

Figure: Byron Weege collecting in the Black Sheep Pocket, 17 June 1999. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo. Fluorite with octahedral Galena on Quartz, 5 x 5 x 3 cm, Black Sheep Pocket, 1999. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Discovered and worked in 2001, after driving the new east adit through a highly brecciated zone, an area of flats to the northeast of the Black Sheep, now known as the “Birthday Pocket”, was encountered. This area of flats produced some good, and often large plates covered with twinned green fluorite crystals, many showing patches of incipient alteration.

Pocket named for its discovery on one of the partners wife's the birthday.

Extracted throughout 2001 to 2003, this pocket was fairly-well brecciated, but only a small number of good-quality specimens were recovered.

Pocket named because the mineralised flats appeared to dip into the floor of the adit.

Figure: A group of twinned fluorite crystals on ironstone, 9 cm across. Collected in 2002 from the Dipper pocket. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

A cavity in one of the flats was discovered along the main adit, about 10 meters north of the original Black Sheep Pocket opening. Specimens from this area, though not numerous, were of very high quality, showing good lustre or very little corrosion.

Pocket named for discovery date on 21st June 2001, mid-summer's day.

Figure (left)) The interior of the Solstice Pocket, August 2001. Fluorite-covered blocks of limestone can be seen in the roof of the pocket. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Figure (right): A group of twinned fluorite crystals showing well developed vicinal faces, from the Solstice Pocket; collected in 2001. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

A cavity in one of the flats was discovered along the main adit, about 10 meters north of the original Black Sheep Pocket opening. Specimens from this area, though not numerous, were of very high quality, showing good lustre or very little corrosion.

Pocket named for discovery date on 21st June 2001, mid-summer's day.

Found on the southern area of the West Crosscut zone.

Pocket named because most good specimens were on large, loose rocks in the roof, making collecting difficult and dangerous.

Figure (left): Roof of the Dodgy Bugger pocket showing rich fluorite mineralisation coating large matrix blocks that tended to come down with little notice due to low cohesion on the joint planes.

Figure: A rather large specimen recovered from the Dodgy Bugger section of West Crosscut in August 2006. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Clusters of larger, untwinned fluorite crystals, often on a layer of white quartz. Galena, common elsewhere, was almost totally absent here. Worked over 2007 to 2008, this pocket was a long, narrow tube, lined with fluorite and produced hundreds of good-quality specimens.

Pocket named for its long narrow shape and confined space, allowing only one person to collect at a time.

Figure (left): The interior of the Rat Hole in July, 2007. Numerous specimens waiting to be wrapped can be seen on the floor of the cavity. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Figure (right): A cluster of untwinned fluorite crystals on quartz, 15 cm across, recovered from the Rat Hole Pocket in July 2007. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Mined during August 2009 and June 2010. Although smaller than the Rat Hole, the fluorite from this pocket was generally much more gemmy and lustrous, and of a deeper, more saturated colour. The Rat Tail Pocket was very near surface at the face of the quarry and by July 2010 it began to collapse and had to be back-filled for safety.

Pocket named as it was an extension of the Rat Hole Pocket.

Figure: Interior of the Rat Tail Pocket, 14th August 2009. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Figure: Fluorite with Galena on Quartz, 17 x 10 x 3 cm, collected from the Rat Tail Pocket in 2010. The “as found” specimen shows rich blue-green daylight fluorescence and at this stage the galena crystals are still coated with iron-stained aragonite.

Figure: specimen after cleaning and shows the true (non- non-fluorescing) emerald-green Fluorite colour. UK Mining Ventures LLC photos.

Figure: A cluster of untwinned fluorite crystals with minor amounts of galena on quartz, 15 cm across. Collected from the Rat Tail Pocket, May 25, 2010. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

While driving an exploratory crosscut eastward from the main adit in 2006, a long, narrow, tube-like pocket was found. Much of the pocket was lined with massive galena, and several large, crudely formed cuboctahedral galena crystals were found. Several fluorite clusters of an unusual pale green colour with internal purple layers associated with quartz were also recovered from this pocket.

Pocket named for its structure.

Figure: Fluorite on ironstone, 25 x 10 x 5 cm, West Crosscut, 2002. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Worked over the period 2001 to 2010, an extensive replacement by the iron carbonate minerals ankerite and siderite.

Pocket named for its location within the mine.

Figure: Fluorite exposed in the West Crosscut Pocket Zone, 30th May 2004. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Figure (left): Fluorite with galena on ironstone matrix. One of the first specimens recovered from the West Crosscut in August, 2001. A good example of the blue coloration caused by the strong "daylight fluorescence" of most Rogerley fluorite. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Figure (right): A close-up photo of a portion of this specimen after cleaning. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Mined over 2003 to 2004, the Corner pocket was not large, but produced some unique specimens for Rogerley. Most of the fluorite crystals were small and a light-green colour, but had a late-stage coating of fine-grained sucrosic quartz.

Pocket named for its location at the northern edge of the West Crosscut zone.

Figure: Green Fluorite with a partial coating of Quartz (11 x 8 x 2 cm) from the Corner Pocket, West Crosscut, mined in 2003.

Over the first several years a few interesting pockets were encountered along the main vein, but never anything that gave up much in the way of quality specimens. In mid-July 2007, after mucking out the blast debris at the main face, a clay-filled pocket zone was discovered trending eastward from the vein. The pocket was mainly collapsed and brecciated, but produced some very fine specimens of flawless, deep green twinned fluorite crystals. Mined from mid-July 2007 into 2008.

Pocket named for a few of the finest specimens yet found in the mine.

Figure: Fluorite on limestone, 15 x 13 x 5 cm, Jewel Box Pocket, 2007. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Many high-quality specimens; quite like the Jewel Box, but a little larger were extracted in July and August 2008 and throughout June 2009.

Pocket named after the favourite local pub, the Blue Bell Inn in St. Johns Chapel.

Figure: Fluorite on ironstone, 8 x 7 x 5 cm, Blue Bell Pocket, 2009. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Figure: A 16 cm plate of twinned fluorite crystals with galena. Collected from the Blue Bell Pocket, June 2009. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

Figure: These specimens were collected on 8th June 2009 from the Blue Bell Pocket. The overall length of the Estwing hammer is 30.5 cm. UK Mining Ventures LLC photos.

A small pocket at the north end of The Jewel Box-Blue Bell Pocket Zone, encountered in late July, 2009.

Pocket named because a ladder was needed to collect it. A small pocket, but produced one of the top specimens yet found in the mine.

Figure (left): Specimens extracted from the High Pocket on 6th July, 2009.

Figure: A 25 cm plate of twinned fluorite crystals on limestone matrix. Collected from the "High Pocket" on August 2, 2009. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

2010 (July)

A reasonably large pocket containing purple fluorite, found near the Crushed Zone flats.

Pocket named colour of contained fluorite.

Figure: A group of untwinned purple fluorite crystals up to 6 cm on edge, on ironstone matrix, collected from the Purple Pocket in July, 2010. The 2p coin measures 26 mm in diameter. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

While tunnelling north along the vein past the Blue Bell Pocket in August 2009, the mineralized flats shifted from the east to the west side of the vein. A fault zone also parallels the west side of the vein in this area of the mine; movement along the fault causing much disruption to the flats, and very few undamaged specimens were recovered. This zone contained fluorite of a similar character to that in the Blue Bell Pocket. Mined during the 2010 season.

Pocket named for brecciated/deformation zone.

Figure: A cluster of gemmy twinned fluorite crystals, 4 cm tall. One of the few intact specimens recovered from the Crushed Zone. UK Mining Ventures LLC photo.

November 2018

For Dave Beadle, Mining Project Manager at Rogerley.