Fluorapophyllite-(K) on Chalcedony Stalactite (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

A predominant, razor-sharp, highly lustrous, gemmy, colorless, doubly-terminated, 6.9 cm long Fluorapophyllite-(K) crystal is accompanied by a second slightly smaller Apophyllite sitting atop a thin stalactite of Chalcedony which is completely coated by tiny Apophyllites all over. The only point of attachment is actually at the top of the specimen, where you can see a tiny radial "dot" of the Chalcedony stalactite which was detached from where it grew at the pocket wall. This means that the point of contact (where the big crystal lies) is actually the bottom of the specimen, but you naturally flip it 180 degrees so the big crystal sits at the top. A wonderful example of this classic material from this famous basalt flow in India. Valued at $1,600 retail. 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/biographies_labels/smalestephen/ ) or on Wikipedia.