Calcite (large crystals) with GEM Fluorite cubes (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

A gorgeous full cabinet sized specimen of the classic material from the famous Xianghuapu Mine. Several compressed scalenohedral crystals of silvery-white Calcite measuring up to a full 6.6 cm across are intergrown in a three-dimensional group sitting on thin layer of host rock matrix. The base of the piece features a handful of soft green, WATER CLEAR Fluorite cubes with dodecahedral modifications. For the most of the major Calcites are damage free, the only break I can see is on the lower left side to one of the small accessory Calcites, along with one small nick on the lower front right crystal. Very attractive in person, hard to photograph, but a really good quality and highly displayable specimen of these well-known specimens. We had this one priced at $1,800 in the inventory. Ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection. Along with amassing one of the finest private mineral collections in the world, Steve is a renowned mathematician. His accomplishments include being awarded the Fields Medal in 1966 along with being the awarded the Wolf Prize in mathematics in 2007. You can read Steve's bio on the Mineralogical Record website ( https://mineralogicalrecord.com/labels.asp?colid=671&page=1 ) or on Wikipedia.