Helgustaðir Mine
It was declared a nature reserve in 1975.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Silfurberg.jpg/220px-Silfurberg.jpg)
About
Location
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Helgusta%C3%B0an%C3%A1ma.svg/220px-Helgusta%C3%B0an%C3%A1ma.svg.png)
The mine is located near Eskifjörður, east of Iceland. Helgustadir mine consists of two mines, known as the upper and lower mine.
Uses
Crystals from this area are known for exceptional clarity, leading to the mineral being named "Iceland spar".
Iceland spar from Helgustadir mine was used in optical devices used in physics, chemistry, and geology, most importantly Nicol prisms.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Calcite_sample-Jenisch_91224-P4150799-black.jpg/220px-Calcite_sample-Jenisch_91224-P4150799-black.jpg)
Nature reserve
The nature reserve is 0.9 hectares. Since 2010, it has been on the Environment Agency of Iceland's red list of areas that are likely to lose their protection status.
Theft of crystals
Being a nature reserve, tampering with the rock formations and removing crystals is forbidden. Despite that, visitors often take samples with them, causing a disruption of the area. The problem has gotten worse as tourism has increased, with some visitors filling their backpacks with samples.
References
- ^ Russell 2008.
- ^ "Helgustaðanáma". Umhverfisstofnun (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2020-08-20.
- ^ "Helgustaðanáma – Stjórnunar- og verndararáætlun 2017–2026" (PDF). Environment Agency of Iceland. 2017.
- ^ runarsr (2017-03-19). "Kristallar hverfa enn úr Helgustaðanámu". RÚV. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
- ^ runarsr (2017-06-13). "Landvörður reynir að stöðva silfurbergsþjófnað". RÚV. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
Further reading
- Russell, Daniel (2008). "Helgustadir Iceland Spar Mine". Mindat.org.