Detailed information
Dimensions
91 x 75 x 44
mm
Locality
Corvara Mine (Rabenstein), Sarentino Valley Bolzano Province (South Tyrol) Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Condition
No recorded repairs
A single, large colourless Fluorite crystal with smooth cubic and stepped octahedral faces is from the Corvara mine in the Sarentino Valley of Bolzano Province, Italy. The largest face measures 7.5 x 4.0 cm at its extreme points and two of the chamfered corners display octahedral planes with characteristic stepped-cubic faces. On first appraisal this specimen appears to have a cleaved back face, but on examination is seen to be covered with small cubic crystals. These have either re-healed a naturally cleaved face or form an original re-orientated face controlled by the available in-situ accommodation space. This transparent to semi-transparent crystal is criss-crossed by internal cleavage planes that manifest as rectangular and lozenge-shaped geometrical surface features. A real beauty!