Bi-colored Fluorite octahedrons w/ Smoky Quartz (1990s)

Item Description

Kara-Oba octahedral fluorites are very distinctive for form, colors and secondary fluorite overgrowths. Two intergrown, rich green, translucent, fluorite octahedrons have unusual secondary overgrowths of smaller octos and one side is dramatically preferentially covered with stepped-growth purple fluorite on this very showy 360-degree specimen. Complete all-around and essentially pristine. The end face on the large octo is contacted, but there appears to be very little bruising. The lustrous, frosted faces also have preferential drusy quartz coatings, adding character. There is a broken off smoky quartz crystal stalk at the base. Specimens of this fine quality from this Soviet-era military-run tungsten mine came out only in the early to mid-1990s. The mine closed in 1996. Modest purple fluorescence. Valued by the former dealer at $395.