Fluorite (beautiful color) with Dolomite

Item Description

A really beautiful Fluorite specimen from the early days of production at Shangbao, showing a hue that is RARELY seen on the market today. There were only two pockets that produced this color, and there is a bit of debate as to whether or not they were from the same pocket that was collected over two different periods of time. Typically, the Shangbao crystals are more of a pastel hue, but THIS piece features a much more saturated hue with strong blue-green tones. This particular color is rare to find from any Chinese locality, not just Shangbao. The crystals are sharp, lustrous, gemmy and well-formed, showing fine cubic habits and measure up to 2.8 cm. The matrix is covered by small vitreous slightly curved rhombs of soft pink colored Dolomite, a common associated mineral from this locality with Fluorite. There are a few bruises to the Fluorites, so the piece is not completely pristine, but the color is rare and highly desirable for the locality. The piece has saw mark on the bottom, allowing it to sit nicely on its own without a base or clay. Valued $3,500.
From the collection of Jack Halpern No. 2165. Jack was born May 18, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, but has been a long-time resident of San Francisco. He assembled one of the great mineral collections in the world encompassing over 3,200 specimens with a specific emphasis on color, quality, and style/aesthetics, which is evident in every piece. He admired specimens of all sizes from thumbnails to large cabinets and the vast majority of them rank from fine to world-class in their quality.
Above all else, Jack is considered to be the greatest gentleman in the modern era of mineral collecting. He is beloved by all those who have met him, and he truly is one of the most iconic figures in the mineral world. We recently acquired Jack's collection, and the VAST majority of these pieces will be offered here in the auctions, as we feel that everyone deserves and equal opportunity at acquiring these important, well-documented and fine quality pieces for their collections. We are honored to have the opportunity to offer Jack's treasures to everyone on a regular basis in the auctions.
We encourage you to read our blog post at https://www.irocks.com/the-jack-halpern-collection or his profile on the Mineralogical Record website https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/halpernjack/ for more information