Fluorite (cubes on octahedron) with Quartz (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

These are some of the most well-known Fluorites that came out of China in the late 1990s. They are certainly some of the most attractive examples of a species that is found in a plethora of Chinese localities. This small cabinet sized piece features attractive "built up" cubic Fluorites, which are notably gemmy, with sharp, smooth, lustrous faces. The largest Fluorite measures 3.0 cm on edge, but if you look closely you can see that these cubes are actually growing on top of a previous generation of green Fluorite composed of modified crystals which are oriented into an octahedral form. The side of the piece has a thin coating of sugary white Quartz for a nice touch. The front / display side of the piece is in great shape, but it is contacted on the reverse side where it was removed from the pocket wall. If you're a fan of Fluorites or Chinese minerals, this is something that is rarely available on the market these days. Originally priced in our inventory at $1,400. 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/labels.asp?colid=671&page=1 ) or on Wikipedia.