Banalsite, a new barium-felspar from Wales

Abstract

In 1941 the Home Ore Department of Iron and Steel Control, Ministry of Supply, took over the old Benallt manganese mine at Rhiw in the Lleyn Peninsula, Carnarvonshire. A new shaft was sunk and a new mine was developed among and mainly below the old workings. It was in one of the old workings of Benallt that Mr. (now Sir) Arthur Russell discovered in 1911 the well-crystallized specimens of celsian and paracelsian recently described by Dr. L. J. Spencer.Dr. A. W. Groves of the Mineral Resources Department of the Imperial Institute and geologist to the Home Ore Department had had a sharp look-out kept for the reappearance of the barium-felspars in the new workings, and when thin bands of coarsely crystallized but compact, white ‘sparry’ minerals were found in one of the ore-bodies he sent specimens to the Department of Mineralogy of the British Museum for investigation.