Fluorite (classic locality)

Item Description

Please note that this piece is labeled as coming from the Heights Mine in Stanhope (Weardale), England, which one of the great old Fluorite localities in the North Pennines, but I'm not convinced as the style different from most you'll find from this locality, as it doesn't feature textbook cubic crystals, but rather modified "stacked"/"stepped" cubic crystals with a soft silvery-purple color and good internal gemminess, sitting atop a previous generation of green Fluorite underneath. Additionally there is minor golden metallic Pyrite and Chalcopyrite that can be seen on the back of the specimen, and I can't find a report of either of those sulfides coming from the Heights Mine. I'm not an expert on minerals from this area, but there are somewhat similar specimens that I've seen from the Blackdene Mine. When backlit, you can see both the green and purple colors together, creating a very pleasing effect. The piece is in good shape overall, with little damage, though some of the edges of the Fluorites are slightly bruised, so the piece is not completely pristine.
From the collection of Kurt Hefendehl (#80 E), a well-known German collector all over Europe with worldwide contacts to dealers and collectors. He started collecting seriously at the age of 14 and his great and varied worldwide collection reached over 6000 pieces. He was very active mineralogically until shortly before his passing in 2020 at the age of 82. Considering his collection had a large number of pieces, it still had an unusually high standard of quality from most worldwide localities. He particularly specialized in all classics as well as minerals of the Black Forest, where he spent much time collecting. His Black Forest and German subcollections went to his good friend Wolfgang Wendel. We at The Arkenstone have the privilege of offering the remainder of this great worldwide collection through our various platforms.