Fluorite (classic material)

Item Description

This is an attractive, classic specimen of Fluorite from Clay Center hosting a full coverage of lustrous, sharp, cubic crystals exhibiting the characteristic rich golden to "root beer" color measuring up to 1.4 cm on matrix. Small, gemmy, colorless Calcite crystals can be seen on the piece for a nice touch. The piece is in good shape, as most of the crystals are undamaged and beautiful to view from a few directions. Like most from the locality, this piece is also fluorescent, showing a blue-white color in areas under UV. You almost never see Fluorites of this color from any other world locality. From the collection of Chester ("Chet") S. Lemanski Jr. of Browns Mills, New Jersey (https://www.mindat.org/user-461.html). Collection #7628CL. Chet was born 1947 in started collecting minerals circa 1957. He worked briefly as a drill runner at the famous Sterling Mine, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey and from 1987 to 1990 he helped convert the mine into a public access mining museum. He has held the role of treasurer, vice president and president of the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society (FOMS), and has been a board member and vice president of the Franklin Mineral Museum. The rare copper arsenate, Lemanskiite was named in his honor in 1999.