Fluorapophyllite-(K) (unusual locality specimen)

Item Description

This is an odd example of Fluorapophyllite-(K) from the Fengjiashan Mine (Daye Mine) in Hubei, China. Typically the Apophyllites from this mine are seen and tabular blades on Quartz, sometimes associated with minerals like Hubeite or Inesite, but this piece is a remarkably different style, featuring dozens if not hundreds of tiny, sharp, lustrous, GEMMY, colorless, pseudo-cubic crystals measuring to about 3 mm, which can be seen on every side of the specimen. The piece is essentially a "floater", as I can't find any real damage or a point of attachment anywhere. I honestly can't recall seeing an Apophyllite specimen like this from this mine, as the habit and overall formation are quite different from virtually anything else that I can remember handling over the years. The Apophyllites are truly colorless, but there seems to be some embedded pocket clay(?) that is causing the brown hue. It doesn't necessarily look like another mineral (I'm positive it's not Hubeite), but I can't identify it. A really odd piece that would make a great addition to any Chinese mineral collection or a suite of esoteric / unusual minerals, and it's actually fine quality to boot.