Minerals from Belgium

Historically, mining was more important in Belgium than it is nowadays – with many of the larger mines having been closed due to imports from abroad.

Belgium produces a relatively small amount of mined material, and its perhaps due to this that we don’t see many mineral specimens from the country floating around.

Representing Belgium are some fine specimens of anatase, calcite and quartz, and one particularly interesting ‘material’ – strickblende, a knitted form of galena crystals in a schalenblende or sphalerite matrix.

Belgium is the type locality for around 18 minerals, most of which are fairly uncommon, but notably including Willemite, which was named after William I (Willem I) of the Netherlands, where the mine was located at the time – it is now in modern day Belgium.

We do have some other specimens from Belgium, sometimes including fossils – check the links below.

Belgium