Detailed information
Species
Fluorite
Dimensions
75 x 114 x 65
mm
Weight
494 g
Locality
Minerva No. 1 Mine, Cave-in-Rock Illinois - Kentucky Fluorspar District Hardin Co., Illinois, USA
Condition
No recorded repairs
So desirable these days, the magnificent colour-zoning seen within Fluorite crystals from the Minerva No. 1 mine at Cave-in-Rock, in the Illinois - Kentucky Fluorspar District are a wonder of the mineralogical world and attract not only die-hard Fluorite collectors, but collectors of worldwide minerals too. This cabinet-sized display specimen sits naturally upright, presenting excellent intergrown cubes reaching 4.5 and 4 cm on edge. They present the classic, rough, resinous, finely crystallized surface texture, underneath which their excellent translucency reveals exceptional internal colour banding, sometimes called phantoms. With a creamy-yellow core the colour passes through several thin deep purple bands into an outer pale blue edge-zone. This combination of colours is quite distinctive to this mining area and really pretty. Although the main crystal shows internal reflections along cleavage planes its outer surfaces are in very good condition, with just one or two very small chips midway along edges. The main corners of the two largest crystals are intact, with one cleaved surface on the back corner of the main crystal. The rear of the crystal group is rough textured where it was detached from a pocket/vein, rather than a broken cleavage surface from trimming. Ex Reverend Michael Keirle Collection (Jersey), this is a very pretty Illinois Fluorite and a great size for a prominent display piece.
