Detailed information
Species
Fluorite, Quartz
Dimensions
73 x 80 x 80
mm
Locality
Kara-Oba Betpakdala Desert Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan
Condition
No recorded repairs
The tungsten deposit at Kara-Oba in the Betpakdala, Kazakhstan, has over 100 mineral species, many of which occur as excellent specimen material. This beautiful and most fascinating cabinet specimen has three translucent (although almost opaque) milky Quartz crystals with a splendid epitaxial Fluorite topping one of the two larger Quartz's. The Fluorite has initially developed as a pale peppermint green octahedral crystal of over 2 cm tall (between opposite tips), over which a later stage of intensely dark purple (almost black) cubic Fluorite has been precipitated. The latter is epitaxial to the octahedron, forming cubic crystals aligned to the octahedral points. Epitaxial growth is where successive generations of crystal growth align and orient their axes to those of earlier crystals, so preserving crystal symmetry. The Quartz crystals are fascinating also, as many of the prism faces are covered is tiny milky Quartz crystals developed facing outward at ninety degrees. A fabulous Fluorite on Quartz.
