Helgustaðir mine
Protected area in Iceland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Helgustaðir mine (Icelandic: Helgustaðanáma [ˈhɛlkʏˌstaːðaˌnauːma]) is a mine in the east of Iceland where Iceland spar (a form of transparent calcite) was mined from the mid-17th century to the 20th century.[1] It is the source of the largest and clearest known Iceland spar specimen and the source of most museum specimens of Iceland spar.[2]
It was declared a nature reserve in 1975.[2]
About
Location
The mine is located near Eskifjörður, east of Iceland.[3] Helgustaðir mine consists of two mines, known as the upper and lower mine.[3]
Uses
Crystals from this area are known for exceptional clarity,[3] leading to the mineral being named "Iceland spar".[3]
Iceland spar from Helgustaðir mine was used in optical devices used in physics, chemistry, and geology,[3] most importantly Nicol prisms.
Nature reserve
The nature reserve is 0.9 hectares.[3] Since 2010, it has been on the Environment Agency of Iceland's red list of areas that are likely to lose their protection status.[3]
Theft of crystals
Being a nature reserve, tampering with the rock formations and removing crystals is forbidden.[2][3] Despite that, visitors often take samples with them, causing a disruption of the area.[3] The problem has gotten worse as tourism has increased,[3] with some visitors filling their backpacks with samples.[4][5]