2V changes. This is known as dispersion of the optic axes. For barytocalcite the effect is weak, with 2V larger for red light than for violet light (r>v). The optical directions X, Y and Z are the directions of travel of light with refractive indices nα, nβ and nγ respectively. In general they are not the same as the directions a, b and c of the crystallographic axes. For barytocalcite Z is parallel to the b axis, X is at an angle of 64° to the c axis and Y is at an angle of 26° to the c axis. Sources disagree about fluorescence. Webmin describes the mineral as non-fluorescent, Dana categorises it as weakly fluorescent and Mindat states that it is fluorescent dull yellow under both longwave and shortwave ultraviolet light. Physical properties Barytocalcite has at least one perfect and one imperfect cleavage. It is a brittle mineral, and breaks with an uneven to conchoidal fracture. It is quite soft, with a hardness 4, the same as that of fluorite. Calcite CaCO3 and dolomite CaMg(CO3)2 are carbonates where calcium Ca and magnesium Mg replace the barium in the formula for barytocalcite, BaCa(CO3)2. These two minerals are even softer than barytocalcite, and much less dense. Barytocalcite has specific gravity 3.7. This is higher than that of calcite (2.7) or dolomite (2.85) because the barium atom is very heavy, with atomic mass 137, which is much more than magnesium at 24 and calcium at 40. Barytocalcite is soluble in dilute hydrochloric acid HCl and it is not radioactive. Type locality The type locality is the Blagill Mine, Nent Valley, Alston Moor District, North Pennines, North and Western Region, Cumbria, England. This mine is no longer operative, and it has been designated a site of Site of Special Scientific Interest so collecting is no longer allowed. In the past lustrous, transparent, prismatic crystals of barytocalcite have been found there in veins in limestone, associated with fluorite, calcite and baryte. Other localities Canada: Brunswick No 12 Mine, near Bathurst, Gloucester County, New Brunswick. Associated with edingtonite England: Nentsberry Haggs Mine, Alston Moor, Cumbria. A 21 cm specimen with lustrous honey-coloured crystals of barytocalcite to 2 cm on crystalline witherite was collected here in 1972, and well formed crystals of barytocalcite were found in the 1990s England: Fallowfield Mine, near Hexham, Northumberland – minor amounts of barytocalcite have been found here Russia: Found in